Man kills mother; four sisters in UP hotel; held

A 24-year-old man allegedly killed his four sisters and mother inside a hotel room in Lucknow with the help of his 55-year-old father while the family was on a trip to celebrate the new year, police said on Wednesday, adding that he also shot a seven-minute video of the grisly crime.

- Aakash Ghosh

The accused, Mohammed Arshad, confessed to murdering his mother and sisters with the help of his father Mohammed Badruddin over alleged land-related harassment by his neighbours in Agra, said deputy commissioner of police Raveena Tyagi. The two men slit the throats and wrists of the victims, and strangled at least one of them, said the police.

"The accused, Arshad, 24, allegedly killed five members of his own family with the help of his father," said Tyagi.

The deceased were identified as Aliya (9), Alishia (19), Aksa (16), Rahmeen (18) - all four of his sisters - and his mother, Asma (45), said the DCP.

"In the initial interrogation, Arshad confessed to killing his four sisters and mother. He said that people in his neighbourhood were harassing his family. He was afraid that if something happened to him, what would happen to his mother and sister. So, he decided to kill them," Tyagi said.

Arshad was arrested on Wednesday after he surrendered to the police and was charged under Section 103 (murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The family hailed from Agra and was staying in Hotel Sharanjeet in Lucknow's Naka area to celebrate the new year, said joint commissioner of police (crime) Babloo Kumar.