‘Property dispute led to crime’: UP man stabs stepdaughter to death, injures wife; arrested

Lucknow: A man stabbed his 19-year-old stepdaughter to death over family discord in Mahanagar on Monday evening. The victim's mother, Rekha Rajput, who tried to stop the assailant, also sustained injuries. The accused, Vikas Chandra Pandey, has been arrested.Police said that Rekha sent an SOS at emergency helpline 112 around 8.45 pm after which a police response vehicle (PRV) and the SHO reached the spot. The victim, Simran Rajput, was rushed to the nearest hospital where the doctors pronounced her dead upon arrival.DCP, central, Ashish Srivastava said the victim's biological father, Jagesh Rajput, died in 2014. "Her mother later married Vikas Pandey, who was living with them in the same house. Preliminary findings suggest that the house was owned by Simran, which may have aggravated tensions between them," he said.Rekha informed the police that the altercation began when her daughter was looking at pictures on her mobile phone. "Vikas suspected she was talking to a boy. He got agitated and said she should be thrown out of the house. He then attacked her with a knife. My daughter screamed and ran outside. He attacked her again in the parking area. When I tried to intervene, he attacked me too. I have injuries on my hand," she said, adding that her daughter sustained multiple injuries. The victim's cousin, Sandeep, claimed that the victim opposed her mother's second marriage, and she often had arguments with Vikas.Police have recovered the weapon used in the crime, and a case has been registered. "The accused is in police custody and further investigation is underway. Prima facie, it appears that property dispute and mistrust in the family led to the crime," the DCP said.