Bahraich (UP), March 2 A man allegedly killed his parents, grandmother, and sister after a dispute over money in a village here, police said on Monday.
The incident occurred in the Ramgaon hamlet of Basantpur Rudal village during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.
The accused attacked his elder brother and also hit himself with a brick.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Durga Prasad Tiwari told reporters that Gurudev lodged a written complaint, stating that he found his younger brother, Nirankar (30), quarrelling with his father over money received from the sale of land and jewelry.
In a fit of rage, the accused allegedly attacked family members with an axe, causing fatal injuries to his parents, grandmother, and sister, the officer said.
The deceased have been identified as Badlu Ram (60), his wife Sanju Devi (56), their daughter Parvati (approximately 42), and Sitala (80).
Gurudev said that the accused struck him with the axe with the intent to kill.
During the incident, the accused also struck himself with a brick multiple times, injuring himself.
Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case against Nirankar.
The police took the accused into custody from the spot and admitted him to the District Hospital, Bahraich. He was later referred to Lucknow due to his critical condition.
The bodies were sent for postmortem after inquest proceedings, the police said.
Preliminary inquiry suggests that the accused was angry over not getting money from the sale of land, officials said.
Nanpara Circle Officer Pahup Kumar Singh said the blood-stained axe used in the crime has been recovered.
Meanwhile, Laxmi, the elder sister of the accused, on Monday said that Nirankar is innocent and accused her elder brother Gurudev of the murder. However, the police maintain that the younger brother, who is the young brother, has confessed to the crime.
Talking to reporters, Laxmi said, "Elder brother Gurudev killed four members of the family by attacking them with an axe with the intention of usurping all the father's money for himself and giving it to his son. Younger brother Nirankar never fights with anyone, whereas elder brother had beaten up mother, father, grandmother and brother many times in the past."
She said she was at her in-laws' house at the time of the incident.
"I came to my parents' house only after getting the information on the phone at 2 am. Last time, Gurudev had attacked in front of me.
"The villagers also know these things and you can ask anyone in the village. Gurudev hit himself on the head and his son is also saying the same thing."
Gurudev, who is undergoing treatment at the hospital, told reporters, "We are two brothers and two sisters. My late father had sold some of his land two years ago but he had not given any money to anyone, including me."
He said Nirankar was angry about this.
"When I came out at night after hearing the noise, my younger brother Nirankar had already killed two people and he killed two in front of me. When I asked, he attacked me too with an axe. The axe must have weighed at least two to three kg," he said.
When asked to comment, Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Durga Prasad Tiwari told