'16 skull injuries found': UP man thrashed to death by in-laws; wife gagged, tied, forced to watch assault

LUCKNOW: A 30-year-old Pratapgarh man, Vishnu Yadav, was beaten to death by his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sisters-in-law in front of his wife at their Aashiana residence, police said on Thursday.

"The victim's wife was tied up, gagged, and held hostage while the assault unfolded," police added. "The intention was to teach Vishnu a lesson for marrying their daughter Sakshi Singh four years ago against the family's wishes."

Police arrested six family members on Thursday. The family allegedly nursed a grudge against Vishnu ever since the wedding.

On March 17, the couple was called to Sakshi's parental home in Sector I, Bangla Bazaar. Investigators said Sakshi was overpowered, tied up, and locked in a room while her husband was brutally assaulted.

"The accused repeatedly hit Vishnu with wooden planks and an iron rod until he died," a police officer said. Sakshi, later rescued by police, told investigators that her father, mother, and four sisters carried out the attack while she remained confined and helpless.

Police arrived after a Dial 112 call and found Vishnu's body in a pool of blood. Sakshi was found bound with visible injuries and immediately freed.

A case was registered under murder and other charges based on a complaint lodged by Vishnu’s father. The arrested accused—Tirthraj Singh, his wife Saroj Devi, and their daughters Radha, Ratna, Jyoti, and Vidhi—have been sent to judicial custody. Blood-stained wooden planks and a rod believed to have been used in the murder were also recovered.

The postmortem revealed Vishnu suffered 20 ante-mortem injuries, including 16 on the skull. The injuries included multiple lacerations, contusions, abrasions, skull fractures, and intracranial haemorrhage. Additional wounds were recorded on the face and neck. The autopsy concluded the cause of death was shock and haemorrhage from severe head trauma, caused by repeated blows with blunt objects.



Vishnu’s family has demanded the death penalty. His brother Rohit Yadav said, "What was done to Vishnu is beyond cruelty. We want nothing less than the death penalty." Their father, Chhedilal Yadav, echoed the demand, saying justice would only be served if the accused receive capital punishment.