Lucknow police probe alimony demand after banker allegedly killed wife and sister before suicide
Police are examining whether a divorce settlement demand of Rs 1.5 crore helped trigger a deadly family dispute in which banker Manas Bajpayi allegedly
Lucknow police are examining whether a divorce settlement demand of Rs 1.5 crore helped trigger a deadly family dispute in which banker Manas Bajpayi allegedly killed his wife and sister before taking his own life. Investigators say the amount came up in a family court hearing on Aug. 18, and they are also looking at tensions over Manas’s younger sister, Sheeba.
The case has shaken this northern Indian city. It also points to a pattern seen in domestic killings elsewhere: money, separation and family pressure can turn a bitter split into something far more violent. Police have not formally said the alimony demand was the only motive.
Divorce fight under the lens
According to the preliminary probe, Divya Mishra had sought financial settlement in her divorce proceedings, and the demand was discussed in court on Aug. 18. Police believe Manas became distressed after that hearing and then began preparing for the attack.
The couple had a court marriage in 2017. They had been living separately since November last year after years of marital discord. Divya filed for divorce in January, and the two had no children.
Simple. And tense.
Investigators are still weighing the financial dispute alongside wider signs of domestic discord. The alleged conflict over Sheeba has also drawn attention, with police saying Divya reportedly did not want to live with Manas’s younger sister.
Police avoid a single-motive theory
For now, officers are treating the Rs 1.5 crore demand as a likely factor rather than a final answer. They are examining the divorce case hearing, the state of the marriage and statements from relatives as they try to map the sequence that led to the killings and suicide.
That caution matters. In family-related killings, investigators often have to separate a flashpoint from the deeper breakdown that came before it. Here, police say the financial demand sits next to a longer record of separation and conflict.
Relatives have told police the couple had been apart for months. The inquiry is continuing.
As of Friday, police were still studying whether the attack was pre-planned, with the hearing on Aug. 18 now a key point in the timeline. The case remains under investigation. One figure keeps coming back: Rs 1.5 crore.
