A father in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has been arrested for the alleged murder of his 11-year-old twin daughters, prompting a police investigation into the motive behind the shocking crime.
A 48-year-old man allegedly killed his 11-year-old twin daughters by slitting their throats with a sharp-edged weapon at his flat in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur in early Sunday, police said.
The accused, identified as Shashi Ranjan Mishra (48), a medical representative, was arrested from the spot, they said.
The crime took place at Trimoorti Apartment in Kidwai Nagar in the Naubasta police station area, where Mishra lived with his wife Reshma, who hails from Siliguri in West Bengal, his twin daughters, and their six-year-old son.
Commissioner of Police Raghubir Lal told PTI, "A police response vehicle (PRV) received a call around 4.30 am about the murder of twin sisters. On reaching the flat, the PRV personnel found both girls lying dead in a pool of blood, while the accused was present inside."
The police said Mishra, who originally hails from Bihar, himself alerted them about the incident. He has been detained and is being questioned.
"Prima facie, the father appears to be mentally disturbed. Further investigation is underway," Lal said.
Forensic teams have inspected the scene and collected evidence, while a sniffer dog unit was also called. The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem examination.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Deependra Nath Chaudhary said preliminary findings suggest that the girls were attacked while they were fast asleep. The motive remains unclear.
The police are also examining the sequence of events inside the house, including how the mother, who was present at the time, became aware of the crime.
She is in shock and has not yet been interrogated, said an official, adding that footage from the CCTV camera is being examined.