'Mentally unstable' man hacks 3 of his family to death with spade in Gorakhpur

LUCKNOW: A 24-year-old man allegedly hacked three of his family members to death with a spade in Jhangha area of Gorakhpur district on Friday morning.

The incident occurred when Ram Dayal attacked a buffalo. When his grandfather, Kuber Maurya, tried to stop him, Ram Dayal assaulted him with the spade.

Upon hearing Kuber's cries, his 75-year-old brother Sadhu Maurya and Kuber's wife Draupadi came to help.

The assailant pursued them into the fields and delivered fatal blows to their heads.

The three victims died immediately. Ram Dayal subsequently moved their bodies to a roadside and remained seated beside them.

Later, locals alerted the police following which Ram Dayal was arrested.

"The spade used in the murder has been recovered, and the accused is being interrogated. The motive behind the killings remains unclear, but cops suspect Ramdayal was mentally unstable," said senior superintendent of police, Gaurav Grover.

Villagers found Ram Dayal sitting near the deceased bodies but were afraid to confront him. When police arrived, he attempted to flee but was apprehended after a pursuit.

"Just two days earlier, he had brandished a sharp weapon in the village, causing panic. His mother revealed that he had been behaving aggressively since a recent accident, often picking up sharp objects and swinging them dangerously," said the police.

The family has documented mental health concerns. According to villagers, Kuber received psychiatric care in the 1990s.

His eldest son, Mewalal, recently released from imprisonment for molestation, also exhibited mental health issues. Local women had feared his presence in the village.

Additionally, Ramdayal's father, Vijay Bahadur, who was unwell, had been away from home since Thursday evening.

SP North Jitendra Kumar Srivastava confirmed that post-mortem examinations were conducted after forensic analysis. The murder weapon was secured and the accused remains under interrogation.


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