

NEW DELHI: A day after a 42-year-old property dealer attacked his family and killed his 5-year-old daughter in Khayala , the man's wife and 12-year-old daughter are still trying to cope with reality.

Police said the accused, Kanwal Kumar, had also tried to commit suicide by jumping off the balcony of his fourth floor flat in west Delhi but got entangled in a bunch of wires which cushioned his fall. Kumar was discharged from DDU hospital on Saturday and arrested shortly after.

On Friday, Kumar hit his 5-year-old, Muskan, on the head and face and then drowned her in a tub of water. Next, he tried to strangle his elder daughter. Kumar's wife, Rimple, tried to intervene but he hit her with an iron rod and then lunged off the balcony, police said. The girl is undergoing treatment at Safdarjung hospital. Police said Rimple and the girl unwent counseling on Saturday.

Police said Kumar was disturbed and took the extreme step as he could not pay back a loan of Rs 20 lakh. "He suffered a major loss in his business. In a bid to earn some quick cash, he started gambling. A few small wins encouraged him and he eventually landed up in debt," said a police official.

Neighbours of the couple said they never heard them fight and found out about the incident after Kumar jumped. "I heard a scream around 3pm but thought it was a dog . After some time, I heard a bang and people shouting. I saw Kumar being lifted off a car he had landed on by some neighbours," said Padmakar Mishra, who lives nearby.

"The couple fought regularly over his debt. Kumar took the step to end the fights and free himself of his debt. His wife and daughter have been counseled but they did not tell us much ," said Pushpendra Kumar, DCP , west.