A 48-year-old man accused of killing his 11-year-old twin daughters in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur has allegedly confessed to the crime, with police stating that the murders were carried out within a span of about 1.5 hours. According to investigators, the accused, Shashi Ranjan Mishra, admitted to killing both girls during the early hours of Sunday and showed no remorse while recounting the incident. He told police that he had been suffering from depression and had been experiencing suicidal thoughts for some time.
Officials said that the accused, who works as a medical representative, had been mentally disturbed following the death of his mother. During questioning, he reportedly stated that he did not want to continue living and was worried about what would happen to his daughters after his death. Police also recovered certain medications and intoxicating substances from his residence, which are now being examined as part of the investigation.
According to the police, the murders were premeditated. The accused had allegedly planned the killings several days in advance and purchased the murder weapon—a cleaver—five days before the incident, hiding it inside a cupboard at home. He later described the sequence of events in detail. At around 1:50 am, he allegedly strangled one of his daughters while she was asleep, placed her body on a sheet, and then used the cleaver along with a hammer to inflict fatal injuries. He then returned to his bed. Nearly two hours later, at around 3:35 am, he repeated the same act with his second daughter.
The bodies of the two girls were found inside the house with deep cut injuries on their necks. The accused himself informed the police after the incident, following which he was taken into custody from the scene. A forensic team examined the house and collected evidence to support the investigation.
The accused’s wife, Reshma Chhetri, has made serious allegations of long-term abuse, claiming that her husband was an alcoholic who frequently assaulted her and deprived her of food. She also stated that he had installed CCTV cameras throughout the house and would restrict her movements, preventing her from leaving for her parental home. According to her, he had earlier expressed intentions of killing himself along with the twin girls.
She further said that on the night of the incident, everything appeared normal. The family had dinner together, after which the accused took the children to his room. She later observed through CCTV footage that he remained awake for some time before turning off the lights. There were no unusual sounds, and she assumed that everyone had gone to sleep, unaware of what had occurred.
Police are continuing their investigation to establish the full sequence of events, examine the accused’s mental condition, and verify all claims made during interrogation. Legal proceedings are underway, and the case is being treated as a serious instance of premeditated double murder.
