Kashi family murder: police start search for cousin of main suspect

After the five murders in Varanasi’s Bhadaini area, the investigation is now focused on finding Rajendra Gupta’s cousin Vikki, who is the prime suspect, a senior police officer said.

Initially, it was suspected that Gupta had murdered his wife and three children, but the investigation took a new turn after Gupta’s body was found with two bullet wounds.

Vikki’s mobile phone is constantly switched off and the police have sent teams to other states, the officer added.

Investigation revealed that there was a property dispute within the family and that dispute is the basis of the incident, the officer said.

Vikki recently threatened Rajendra Gupta, the officer added. Vikki and his brother Jugnoo, aka Prashant, lived in Bengaluru. While Jugnoo reached Varanasi after the incident, Vikki was untraceable. Meanwhile, Varanasi Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal said, “Around 10 police teams along with Special Operations Group (SOG) officers and crime branch sleuths have been constituted to probe the case.”

Police have questioned more than 10 suspects in connection with the case, police sources said on Thursday, adding that two people had been arrested.

Moreover, a police official said that police recovered books related to “tantra mantra” and vaastu shastra from Rajendra Gupta’s under-construction house on the outskirts of the city.

Four persons – Neetu Gupta (in her 40s), daughter Gaurangi, 16 and sons Navanendra, 22 and Subendra, 15 – were found murdered at their home in the Bhadaini area on Tuesday.

Within a few hours, the body of Neetu’s husband Rajendra Gupta was found in an under-construction house in the Akhari area on the outskirts of Varanasi.

The investigation revealed that the attacker did some reconnaissance before committing the crime, those with knowledge of the matter said.

Neetu Gupta’s body also showed more than one bullet injury.