Prayagraj Quadruple Murder Mystery Deepens: Family Feud, Multi-Crore Property and Cryptic Message Under Investigation
The investigation into the shocking murder of four members of a Prayagraj family has taken a dramatic turn, with police increasingly focusing on long-standing family disputes and a property reportedly worth more than ₹50 crore.
Investigators believe these factors could hold crucial clues to understanding the motive behind the brutal killings.
According to people familiar with the family, Virendra Vaish had severed ties with his younger son, Ashwani, years ago and removed him from any claim to the family’s assets due to his alleged activities.
Residents of the area also revealed that elder son Abhishek had been married but divorced several years earlier, while daughter Meenakshi remained unmarried.
The family’s valuable property, located at the busy South Malaka intersection, is now a central aspect of the police probe.
Authorities have also recovered a handwritten board containing a cryptic message that read, “Bunty-Babli, daughter-in-law killed us.”
Investigators are planning a forensic examination of the handwriting to determine who wrote the note and whether it was intended to mislead the investigation or point toward those responsible.
The mystery surrounding the case deepened throughout the day. Initially, police recovered the bodies of the elderly couple and their daughter from inside the house, while Abhishek was reported missing.
This led investigators to suspect he may have been involved. However, the discovery of a fourth body in a shop located on the ground floor completely altered the direction of the investigation and raised new questions about what actually happened inside the building.
The handwritten message found near the victims has drawn particular attention because of its apparent reference to “Bunty-Babli,” a nickname that had previously appeared in media reports involving Ashwani and his wife, Ritu Yadav.
The couple had allegedly gained notoriety after being accused in a high-profile fraud case.
Police records indicate that Ashwani and Ritu had entered into a love marriage and were later accused of operating fraudulent matrimonial schemes through fake profiles on a marriage website.
Investigators alleged that the couple deceived several individuals by promising marriage arrangements and collected large sums of money through the scheme.
Due to multiple complaints, the Kaushambi police had announced rewards of ₹25,000 each for information leading to their arrest before eventually apprehending them last year. Ashwani remains in jail, while Ritu is currently out on bail.
As the investigation intensified, a team from Prayagraj Police travelled to Kaushambi Jail on Tuesday evening to question Ashwani.
However, by the time officers arrived, the prison had already closed for the day. With special permission from senior authorities, investigators were granted access to continue their inquiries.
Police are expected to question Ashwani about his relationship with family members, the events leading up to the murders and the identity of the fourth victim.
Investigators also hope to gather information regarding his wife’s whereabouts and any possible links to the crime. Officials are reportedly considering seeking his custody for further questioning.
Senior police officers have revealed that both Ashwani and Abhishek had previously come under scrutiny for alleged criminal activities.
Authorities are now collecting detailed information about their backgrounds as part of the broader investigation.
The manner in which the murders were carried out has led investigators to suspect that someone known to the family may have been involved.
Police believe the crime appears to have been carefully planned. Evidence suggests that efforts were made to clean bloodstains at the scene, indicating an attempt to destroy crucial forensic evidence.
Investigators also noted that the house and adjoining shop were locked from the outside after the killings, a detail that further strengthens the theory that the perpetrators were familiar with the family and the property.
Relatives and neighbours have described the Vaish family as private individuals who largely kept to themselves.
A relative, Atin Kesarwani, who identified Virendra Vaish as his uncle, said the family maintained limited interaction even with close relatives.
Neighbours echoed similar sentiments, saying the family rarely socialised and preferred a quiet, reserved lifestyle.
Residents recalled seeing Virendra Vaish for the last time on Sunday.
After that, neither he nor any other family member was spotted in the area. Since both the house and shop remained locked for several days, neighbours assumed the family had travelled elsewhere.
It was only on Tuesday afternoon, when a strong foul smell began spreading from the property, that suspicions were raised and the horrifying discovery was made.
As investigators piece together the circumstances surrounding the crime, family tensions, property-related disagreements and financial issues have emerged as key areas of inquiry.
According to residents, relations within the family had been strained for years. Ashwani had reportedly been disowned long ago, while disagreements over property involving Abhishek had also surfaced from time to time.
Residents further claimed that Virendra Vaish and his daughter Meenakshi managed a gift shop together and generally maintained distance from both sons.
Rumours of strained relationships within the household had circulated in the locality for some time, but few could have imagined such a tragic outcome.
With multiple angles under examination—including family rivalry, inheritance disputes, financial transactions and possible personal vendettas—the case remains one of the most puzzling and disturbing crimes to hit Prayagraj in recent years.
As investigators continue their work, residents across the city are anxiously waiting for answers to the many questions that remain unanswered.
