Man shoots wife outside bank, kills sister, then himself in Lucknow

A shocking triple shooting in Lucknow's upscale Gomti Nagar neighbourhood on Thursday has left authorities and residents stunned. Manas alias Manav Vajpayee allegedly shot dead his wife Divya Mishra outside her workplace, then travelled to his rented home where he killed his sister Tulika alias Shiba before turning the gun on himself. The three deaths within hours have raised troubling questions about marital discord, mental health, and premeditated violence.

The horrifying sequence began around noon outside an ICICI Bank branch in Gomti Nagar, where Divya worked as a relationship manager. Police say Manas arrived in a tempo, called Divya outside, and after a brief conversation, pulled out a pistol and shot her. Eyewitnesses reported he was carrying two pistols and threatened bystanders who attempted to intervene before fleeing in an auto-rickshaw. Divya was rushed to hospital but declared dead on arrival. Investigators are now probing whether the auto lacked a rear number plate and if Manas had arranged the getaway vehicle in advance.

After shooting his wife, Manas headed to his rented accommodation near Husadiya Chowk, arriving around 12:30 pm. A local fast-food vendor recalled seeing him drenched in sweat, entering his home and locking the door. Shortly after, gunshots rang out from inside. When police arrived, they discovered the bodies of Manas and his 28-year-old sister Tulika, who reportedly had mental health challenges and was under his care. Police recovered three firearms from the scene and are conducting ballistic tests to determine which weapons were used in the killings.

A WhatsApp status allegedly posted by Manas after killing Divya has become a crucial piece of evidence. In the message, he reportedly accused his wife of betrayal and admitted to killing her, while also mentioning plans to take his own life and his sister's. He referenced other individuals by name, though police stress these claims remain unverified pending investigation. The couple had been married for twelve years without children, and Divya had filed for divorce approximately a year ago, moving separately to the Singarnagar area of Alambagh. DCP East Dr. Diksha Sharma confirmed forensic teams have collected evidence and are examining CCTV footage from the bank to the residence to reconstruct Manas's movements and establish a clear timeline of the tragedy.