india

Updated: Nov 14, 2018 00:12 IST

A man murdered his three daughters by hitting them on their heads with a hammer and setting them afire in Veer village of Lalitpur district on Tuesday morning, police said.

Police said the man, identified as Chedamilal alias Chiddu Kushwaha, committed the crime because he was upset over his wife’s stay at her parents’ place.

The victims were identified as Anjali, 11, Radhika, 7, and Vishakha, 3.

Police said Kushwaha had confessed to his crime. Superintendent of police, Lalitpur, OP Singh said, “He kept telling us that as he has killed the girls...A case of murder has been registered against him on the complaint of village guard Ram Ratan and Kushwaha has been sent to jail,” Singh said.

The SP said Kushwaha’s wife, along with her two other daughters, had left for her parents’ house in Balari village of Datia district in Madhya Pradesh a day before Diwali after he assaulted her under the influence of liquor.

“He tried to bring his wife back but his efforts further complicated the situation as he picked up a fight with her cousins, who forcibly sent him back to his village two days ago. Feeling insulted, the man killed his daughters to make sure his wife returns,” said Singh.

Kushwaha’s mother told the police that he kept drinking throughout the night and woke her up around 4 am asking her to go outside the room. She went out fearing that he would create a scene.

“Kushwaha locked the door from inside and killed the girls. He was later nabbed by residents when he tried to set neighbouring houses afire. He torched the hay and dried wood lying on rooftops of three houses which alerted the locals,” said Singh.

The villagers informed the police that Kushwaha was a drunkard and a bully who would pick up random fights in the village and even outside it.

Munnu Lal Kushwaha, a neighbour, said the entire village was in shock after the incident.

Police said Kushwaha accompanied the bodies of his daughters to the hospital but did not show any sign of remorse.