Lucknow: A shocking sequence of shootings in Uttar Pradesh’s capital on Thursday left three members of a family dead after a 38-year-old State Bank of India employee allegedly shot his estranged wife outside her workplace, killed his younger sister at home and then died by suicide.

The incident unfolded within a short span of time in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar area and took an even more disturbing turn when the man, identified as Manas Vajpayee, reportedly posted a WhatsApp status describing what he had done and indicating that he intended to kill himself. The status also named his wife’s sister, YouTuber and former journalist Pragya Mishra, and her husband.

Police said three weapons were recovered from Vajpayee’s residence as investigators began piecing together the circumstances surrounding the Lucknow triple death case.

Wife shot outside ICICI Bank branch

According to the preliminary police account, Vajpayee went to an ICICI Bank branch in Gomti Nagar around noon, where his wife, Divya Mishra, worked. He reportedly called her outside the bank and spoke to her briefly before allegedly shooting her.

Divya, 33, was rushed to a hospital by her colleagues following the shooting. She was declared dead on arrival, police said. The shooting occurred in a busy urban setting, turning an ordinary workday into the scene of a fatal domestic dispute.

The couple had been married for around 12 years and had no children. However, their marriage had reportedly been under strain for some time. The two had been living separately for more than a year, and Divya had filed for divorce in 2025, according to information available to investigators and people familiar with the family.

Police have not publicly established the full circumstances that led to the separation or the shooting. However, Vajpayee's alleged WhatsApp message contained an accusation that his wife had cheated on him. That allegation was made by Vajpayee himself and has not been independently established as fact.

From the bank to his home

The incident did not end with the shooting outside the bank.

After allegedly attacking his wife, Vajpayee returned to his residence. Police said he then shot his 28-year-old sister, Shiva Vajpayee, before taking his own life.

Investigators said Shiva had been dealing with serious mental health issues. According to the police account, Vajpayee may have believed that she would have no one to care for her after his death. That reported reasoning is part of the emerging investigation and does not lessen the criminal nature of the act.

Local information indicated that the siblings' parents had already died, leaving no immediate parental support in the family. The circumstances surrounding Shiva's death, including what happened inside the house before the shooting, are expected to form a key part of the police investigation.

A neighbour and local shopkeeper provided investigators with a timeline of the events at the residence. The man reportedly saw Vajpayee return home at around 12:30 pm. He appeared to be in a hurry and was sweating heavily before entering the house.

The neighbour later noticed Vajpayee's WhatsApp status. Concerned by its contents, he went inside the house and found Vajpayee dead.

Chilling WhatsApp status becomes key clue

One of the most striking elements of the Lucknow bank employee murder-suicide case is the WhatsApp status allegedly posted by Vajpayee shortly after the shooting of his wife.

In the status, he claimed that he had killed his wife because she had cheated on him and indicated that he would kill himself and his sister. He also referred to Divya's sister Pragya Mishra and her husband, suggesting that they knew about the circumstances behind the marital dispute.

Police have said the WhatsApp status is significant to the investigation. A senior police official also confirmed that the message on the phone helped investigators understand the sequence of events. Three weapons were reportedly recovered from the house.

The message, however, represents Vajpayee's version of events and allegations. It should not be treated as independent proof of the claims he made against his wife or her family.

Pragya Mishra's post came before sister's death was confirmed

The case also drew widespread attention because of the social media post by Pragya Mishra, Divya's sister.

Mishra, who is known for her Hindi YouTube channel and has previously worked with news television channels, posted on X after receiving a phone call informing her that Divya had been shot in Gomti Nagar.

At around 1:26 pm, she wrote that her sister had been shot and was being treated at Lucknow's Lohia hospital, while appealing for prayers and tagging Uttar Pradesh Police authorities. At that point, news of Divya's death had not yet been publicly confirmed.

The social media post added another layer to the tragedy because Mishra was subsequently mentioned in Vajpayee's WhatsApp status. His message suggested that Mishra and her husband knew "everything" about the matter.

There is no indication in the available information that Mishra was involved in the shootings. Her post instead shows that she learned about the attack through a phone call while her sister was being taken to hospital.

Police investigation underway

The Lucknow Police have begun investigating the shootings as a connected sequence of events. According to DCP East Diksha Sharma, police initially received information about a woman being shot in the Gomti Nagar police station area. Officers were then informed about another shooting and a suicide at a residence.

The two incidents were subsequently linked to the same man.

The recovery of three weapons from Vajpayee's house is expected to form an important part of the forensic investigation. Police will also examine the crime scenes, digital evidence and the WhatsApp status as they seek to establish precisely how the shootings unfolded and what preceded them.

Investigators are also likely to examine the couple's marital history, the divorce proceedings reportedly initiated by Divya, their period of separation and any previous disputes or complaints that could shed light on the events leading up to Thursday's violence.

At present, the alleged accusation of infidelity remains a claim made by Vajpayee in his final message rather than an established finding of the investigation.

A family tragedy that unfolded in minutes

The sequence of events has left a particularly grim picture: a woman allegedly attacked outside the bank where she worked, her sister-in-law killed inside a family home and the alleged shooter dead by suicide shortly afterward.

The case has also highlighted how quickly a private marital conflict can escalate into lethal violence. The couple had reportedly been living apart for more than a year, and divorce proceedings were already underway. Yet the separation did not prevent the confrontation that ultimately ended three lives.

For investigators, the immediate priority will be establishing the complete timeline and separating verified evidence from allegations contained in the final WhatsApp message. For the families involved, the investigation comes against the backdrop of an irreversible loss.

As police continue examining the evidence, the Lucknow shootings remain a disturbing example of how a prolonged personal dispute can culminate in sudden and devastating violence.

With input from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

© Copyright 2026. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Vygr Media.