LUCKNOW A divorce petition and demands for the return of dowry have emerged as central factors in Thursday’s triple shooting in Gomti Nagar, where a man allegedly murdered his estranged wife and sister before turning the gun on himself.
“Relationship manager Divya Mishra had filed a divorce petition in the family court. She had filed for divorce a few months ago, a step family members described as the culmination of a prolonged estrangement that had strained relations within the household. Police were reviewing witness statements and CCTV footage to verify the sequence of events.
She had also sought compensation and the return of dowry given during the marriage,” said police commissioner Tarun Gauba who reached the Husadiya residence after Manas Bajpayee allegedly shot his sister and then himself. Relatives and police sources said Divya and Manas had been living separately for nearly five years. Manas allegedly called Divya out of her car outside a bank, spoke to her for several minutes, and then allegedly shot her, according to preliminary police accounts.
It is difficult to believe that within a short span of time three lives were lost,” said one person close to the family, as relatives gathered outside the mortuary. Divya would sometimes stay with her family and at other times with her in-laws. Their dispute had intensified since November,” added Gauba. “Everyone is in shock.
“After speaking to several family members, we came to know that the couple had not been living together since November 2025.
Officials said the statements of family members and other relevant evidence were being examined to establish the sequence of events and determine the precise circumstances that led to the shootings. Relatives said the long separation and the divorce filing, proceedings that often carry legal, financial and emotional strain, formed an important backdrop for investigators’ probing motive. Neighbours and acquaintances said they were unaware of any recent public confrontations between the couple, which made the escalation harder to reconcile with the family they knew.
