India: UP youth kills mother, 4 sisters to ‘protect their honour’

Dubai: A 24-year-old man accused of murdering his mother and four sisters at a hotel in Lucknow claimed in a chilling video that he committed the killings to prevent his “sisters from being sold.”

In the video, which surfaced hours after the shocking incident, Arshad alleged that neighbours and a land mafia in their hometown of Budaun had seized their house and planned to traffic his sisters, according to an NDTV report.

Arshad admitted in the video to killing his mother and three sisters, while the fourth was critically injured. He detailed how he choked them and slit their wrists, claiming that his father assisted in the act.

The victims were identified as his mother Asma and his sisters Alia (9), Alshia (19), Aksa (16), and Rahmeen (18).

“Our family took this step because of harassment by neighbours,” Arshad said. “I have killed my mother and sisters. When the police see this video, they must know that the locals are responsible. They harassed us and captured our house. We raised our voices, but no one listened. For 15 days, we have been sleeping on the footpath in the cold. We didn’t want the children to continue suffering.”

False case

In his statement, Arshad named several individuals—Ranu, Aftab, Aleem Khan, Salim, Arif, Ahmad, and Azhar—allegedly responsible for the family’s plight. He described them as land mafia involved in human trafficking. “They intended to frame my father and me in a false case and sell my sisters. I was forced to act to protect their honour,” he said.

Arshad also mentioned the family’s desire to convert for peace and appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for justice, the NDTV report said. “We sought help from many, but no one came forward. Now my sisters are gone, and I will not survive much longer. No family in India should face what we did.”

He requested justice posthumously, urging strict punishment for those he accused. He also stated that the family’s belongings should be donated to an orphanage and suggested that a temple be built on their land.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Lucknow, Raveena Tyagi, confirmed that the murders occurred at Hotel Sharanjit. “The accused, Arshad, allegedly killed five family members. The local police apprehended him at the scene shortly after the crime,” she said.

Arshad ended his video by saying, “We saved their honour. Now ensure they get justice.”