Hathras: Two minor sisters, the youngest just six, were killed allegedly by their cousin who slit their throats during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday before attacking their mother and bedridden father to wipe out the entire family, police said on Thursday.
The horrific incident occurred at the family's home in Ashirwad Dham Colony of Hathras' Sadar Kotwali area, they said. While Vikas allegedly killed his two cousins -- Srishti (14) and Vidhi (6) -- by slitting their throats with a sharp object, his uncle and aunt survived the assault but have been hospitalised with serious injuries, officials said.
While a family feud is suspected to be the reason behind why Vikas launched the murderous attack, police said they are investigating the motive behind the crime. The deceased were the daughters of Chhotelal Gautam, originally from Fatehpur district.
Gautam, a lecturer at Jawahar Smarak Inter College in Mitai, has been residing in the Ashirwad Dham Colony with his wife Virangana alias Gauri and their daughters. He has been bedridden for the past year due to a paralysis attack, according to police.
Hathras Superintendent of Police Chiranjeev Nath Sinha said Gautam's nephew Vikas arrived at the family's residence on the night of January 22, accompanied by an associate.
"Around 9 PM, they all had dinner together and they all went to sleep. Sometime between 1:30 and 2 AM, Vikas and his associate used sharp weapons to attack the family, killing the two daughters. They also injured Chhotelal Gautam and his wife," Sinha said.
Gauri's cries for help caused the attackers to flee. Alerted by her screams, other tenants and neighbours gathered and informed the police. The injured couple was rushed to the district hospital and later referred to a higher medical centre, he said.
The bodies of the two girls have been sent for postmortem. Sinha said, "Gautam and his wife sustained injuries, but they managed to survive. According to Gauri's statement, her daughter's cousin Vikas carried out the attack. An FIR has been registered under relevant sections, and further legal action is being taken.
The couple has been referred to a higher medical centre for advanced care." The residents of the colony revealed that Vikas was a frequent visitor to the family.
