Man set wife, three kids afire, claim police

The case involving the explosion at a house in Bahadurgarh here last evening has taken a turn, with the police claiming that the deaths of four family members — a woman and her three children — were not the result of an accident, but allegedly a conspiracy by her husband, Harpal Singh.

Advertisement

The police have arrested Harpal, who also sustained burn injuries. They also recovered a bottle of petrol from the house located in Sector 9, Bahadurgarh.

“When the police reached the house, they found Harpal in an injured condition, and his wife, Sandeep Kaur, and their children—Chahak (11), Jaskirat (17), and Sukhwinder (9)—dead in a room. Initially, the case was thought to be an accident, but an investigation was conducted with ballistic and forensic teams. The conditions inside the house, including the explosion, pointed towards something fishy,” said Bahadurgarh DCP Mayank Mishra, while talking to the media.

He said during the search, a bottle of petrol and a suicide note were recovered from the spot. Upon reading the note, the full extent of the situation became evident. Harpal first made the victims fall unconscious by feeding them sleeping pills. Then, he strangled them with a rope and hands before attacking them with a sharp weapon. He then poured petrol on them and set them afire. Though he also attempted to end his life, but stopped due to fear. The fire caused a blast in the internal unit of the AC, the DCP said.

“Harpal (belonging to Rudrapur in Uttarakhand) is a transporter. In the note, Harpal made serious allegations against his sister and brother-in-law. In a 12-page letter, he wrote that he am going to commit suicide with the whole family today. The reason was his brother-in-law and sister, who fraudulently got his house registered in their name. 'I tried to save my children from them. That's why I took a house on rent in Bahadurgarh by giving a false identity. Now, I am tired and taking this extreme step',” said Mishra, divulging the contents of the note.

The DCP stated that the accused had confessed to the crime. “The exact motive is yet to be ascertained,” he added.