Prayagraj: In a chilling incident driven by a bitter property dispute, a man allegedly murdered his father, younger sister and teenage niece in a village under the Mauaima police station limits of Prayagraj district in Uttar Pradesh.
The bodies of the three victims were later recovered from a dry well in the village, bringing to light a brutal triple murder that had gone undetected for three days.
The crime took place in Bisani alias Shikohabad, a hamlet of Lokapur village. The accused, Mukesh Patel, is alleged to have committed the murders over a long-simmering dispute related to ancestral land.
The case came to light on Monday when Mukesh was arrested for attempting to kill his younger brother, an attack that ultimately led police to uncover the earlier killings.
A Family Divided by Property
According to police and villagers, 60-year-old Ram Singh Patel lived in the ancestral house with his younger son Mukund Lal, his 24-year-old daughter Sadhana, and his elder daughter Kiran’s 14-year-old daughter, Aastha.
Mukesh Patel, Ram Singh’s elder son, lived separately in the same village with his wife and children and worked as a daily wage labourer.
Nearly two years ago, Ram Singh transferred his entire four bighas of land in the name of his younger son Mukund Lal.
This decision deeply embittered Mukesh, who felt cheated and repeatedly demanded a share of the property. He insisted that even ten biswas of land would satisfy him, but both his father and younger brother refused to part with any portion.
The dispute frequently escalated into arguments, creating tension within the family.
The Night of the Murders
Police said that on Friday night, Mukesh went to the ancestral home while Mukund Lal was away.
He allegedly first strangled his father, Ram Singh. When Sadhana and Aastha rushed in after hearing screams, Mukesh attacked them with an axe, killing both on the spot.
He then ensured his father was dead.
After committing the murders, Mukesh allegedly stuffed the three bodies into sacks and transported them one by one on a motorcycle to a dry well located around 500 metres from the house.
He threw the bodies into the well, covered them with straw to conceal the crime, locked the house and fled.
Attempt on Younger Brother’s Life
The next day, when Mukund Lal returned home, Mukesh allegedly ambushed him and fired at him with a country-made pistol. The shot missed its mark, and Mukund Lal survived with only pellet injuries.
News of the attack spread quickly, prompting Mukund Lal’s elder sister Kiran to rush to her parental home with her husband.
Finding the house locked and the family members missing, suspicion deepened, and police were alerted.
Threats Ignored, Tragedy Unfolds
Villagers revealed that Mukesh had been openly threatening for nearly 20 days, saying he would wipe out his family if he did not get his share of land.
Some residents had conveyed these threats to Ram Singh, but he reportedly dismissed them lightly, never imagining that his own son would carry out such a horrific act.
The brutality of the crime shocked the entire village. Residents questioned how Mukesh could kill his own father, an innocent sister and a young niece without hesitation.
Sadhana’s marriage had already been fixed, and she was to be married in May. The hands that should have performed her farewell rituals ended her life instead.
Police Recovery and Investigation
Following Mukund Lal’s statement, police arrested Mukesh Patel, who allegedly confessed to the crime during interrogation.
According to his information, police recovered the three bodies from the dry well. The axe used in the murders, along with the country-made pistol and two cartridges used in the attack on the younger brother, were also seized.
Senior police officials confirmed that the triple murder was carried out due to a property dispute.
Legal proceedings are underway, and further investigation is being conducted to reconstruct the sequence of events.
A Dark Lesson for the Village
Ram Singh Patel was originally from Gamrahata village in Mauaima, but had settled in Lokapur after inheriting property from his maternal family.
He had sold his ancestral property in his native village years ago and made Lokapur his permanent home.
Ironically, the land he inherited and passed on became the root cause of his death.
The village remains gripped by grief and disbelief. Residents say Mukesh gained nothing from the crime—no land, no resolution—only the permanent stigma of having destroyed his own family for a piece of earth.
Official Statement
Confirming the details, Deputy Commissioner of Police Gangangar, Kuldeep Singh Gunawat, said that the accused murdered his father, sister and niece over a property dispute.
The bodies have been recovered, weapons seized, and strict legal action is being taken.
What remains is a haunting reminder of how unchecked greed and unresolved family conflicts can spiral into unimaginable violence, leaving behind irreparable loss.
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