Kanpur murder-suicide horror: Kargil veteran kills wife, shoots 16-year-old son, then jumps in front of train; here's what led to the family tragedy

A 51-year-old retired Army personnel, who was a Kargil war veteran, allegedly shot his wife and his 16-year-old son with his licensed gun at his house in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur. After killing his wife and son, Chetram Paswan died by suicide by jumping in front of a train near a railway underpass in Tulsiyapur village. The incident came to light on Monday when the police received information about a man being found dead on the railway track near the Kathogar-Imlipur underpass. The neighbours said the couple had a fight on Sunday night.

The body was identified with the help of the bike found near railway tracks and he was identified as a retired soldier, Chatram Paswan. According to a PTI report, initially, the body, prima facie suspected to be a case of suicide, was identified with the help of an Aadhaar card recovered from his pocket.

When police officers reached Chetram Paswan's house to inform his family members about his death, they found the bodies of his wife, Sunita Verma (40), and their son, Deep (16), inside the house. The bodies were lying with a double-barreled gun lying nearby.


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A murder and then a suicide?

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Vipin Tada said, adding that a domestic dispute seems to have occurred late Sunday night, following which Paswan allegedly shot his wife. When his son Deep rushed in after hearing the gunshot to save his mother, he was also shot. Chetram Paswan then left the house, locked the main gate from outside, and later died by suicide on the railway track, PTI reported citing an official.

Chetram Paswan had retired from the Indian Army and was working as a security guard at a bank. He was also receiving a pension. The family had moved into their newly constructed house around three months ago, PTI reported.

According to sources in the police, Paswan had taken a loan of around Rs 12 lakh for his daughter's wedding and for the construction of his house. Struggling to repay it, he had sought his share of ancestral land from his father, Ayodhya Prasad, two months ago. About a month ago, his father sold a field and gave him Rs 12 lakh, which he used to settle the loan. His daughter was married six months ago, while his son is a Class IX student.

Neighbours told the police that the couple had argued late on Sunday night. However, the motive behind the killings remains unclear. According to TOI, Chetram Paswan's brother alleged that it was a case of murder and said a rope was tied around Deep's waist. He claimed that the war veteran "could not have committed such an act". He also questioned certain circumstances at the scene and demanded a thorough probe.

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What police said

"Forensic teams have collected blood samples, the weapon, CCTV footage and other evidence from the scene. All angles, including family and financial issues, are being examined," ACP Vipin Tada said, adding that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination. Police said that further legal action will be taken based on forensic findings and the post-mortem report.

(With PTI and TOI inputs)