Lucknow SBI employee shoots wife, kills sister, dies by suicide
Synopsis
An SBI employee in Lucknow allegedly shot his estranged wife outside her bank branch, drove home, killed his sister, and died by suicide — all within hours on 20 August. A WhatsApp status posted before his death and three firearms recovered from the house have added chilling detail to a case that lays bare the fatal consequences of domestic breakdown and unchecked access to weapons.
Key Takeaways
Manas Vajpayee , 38 , an SBI employee , allegedly shot dead his estranged wife Divya Mishra outside an ICICI Bank branch in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow on 20 August .
Vajpayee then allegedly returned home and shot his 28-year-old sister, Shiva Vajpayee , before dying by suicide.
The couple had been married for approximately 12 years and had been living separately for over a year; Mishra had filed for divorce last year.
Three firearms were recovered from the residence by police.
Vajpayee posted a WhatsApp status before his death announcing the killings; a neighbour who saw the status discovered the bodies.
DCP (East) Dr Diksha Sharma confirmed the identity of the accused and the sequence of events; police investigation is ongoing.
An SBI employee allegedly shot dead his estranged wife outside her workplace in Lucknow's Gomti Nagar area on Thursday, 20 August, before returning home and killing his sister and then dying by suicide — a triple fatality that has shaken the city. The accused, Manas Vajpayee, 38, was an employee of the State Bank of India.
How the Events Unfolded
According to police and eyewitness accounts, Vajpayee called his estranged wife, Divya Mishra, outside the ICICI Bank branch in Gomti Nagar — where she worked — at around noon. After speaking with her briefly, he allegedly opened fire before fleeing the scene. Mishra was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.
A shopkeeper near Vajpayee's residence reportedly said he returned home at around 12.30 pm, appearing panicked and sweating profusely. The neighbour said Vajpayee went inside and played the Hanuman Chalisa. The neighbour, after noticing a disturbing WhatsApp status posted by Vajpayee, entered the house and found him dead.
Sister Also Killed; Three Firearms Recovered
Police said Vajpayee allegedly shot his 28-year-old sister, Shiva Vajpayee, at their shared residence before turning the weapon on himself. According to police, Shiva had reportedly been dealing with mental health-related issues. Three firearms were recovered from the house.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Dr Diksha Sharma confirmed that officers initially received information about a woman being shot in the Gomti Nagar police station area. While responding to that incident, a second alert came in about a man who had allegedly killed his sister and died by suicide. "It was subsequently verified that he was the same man, Manas Vajpayee, who had killed his wife and sister before committing suicide," Dr Sharma said.
WhatsApp Status and Social Media Posts
Before dying by suicide, Vajpayee reportedly posted a WhatsApp status stating: "Today I killed my wife who cheated on me. Now I have to kill myself and my sister, her sister Pragya, and everything." The status was noticed by a neighbour, who then entered the house and discovered the scene.
Shortly after the shooting, Mishra's sister, Pragya Mishra, posted on social media saying she had received information that her sister had been shot and taken to Lohia Hospital. She tagged the Uttar Pradesh Police and appealed for prayers.
Background and Police Investigation
The couple had been married for approximately 12 years but had reportedly been living separately for more than a year. According to information available to police, Mishra had filed for divorce last year. Police are continuing to investigate the full circumstances behind the killings and the subsequent suicide.
This incident underscores the alarming intersection of domestic disputes and access to firearms, and comes as authorities face renewed scrutiny over gun licensing and mental health support systems in Uttar Pradesh.
Point of View
Yet no one acted in time. Mainstream coverage will focus on the domestic dispute angle; the harder question is why mental health red flags — both the accused's apparent distress and his sister's reported condition — went unaddressed. Domestic violence rarely arrives without warning signs, and the system's failure to intercept this tragedy deserves as much scrutiny as the crime itself.
NationPress
20 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Lucknow SBI employee murder-suicide case?
SBI employee Manas Vajpayee, 38, allegedly shot his estranged wife Divya Mishra outside her workplace in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, on 20 August, before returning home and killing his 28-year-old sister Shiva Vajpayee and then dying by suicide. Three firearms were recovered from the house.
Who were the victims in the Lucknow shooting?
The victims were Divya Mishra, Vajpayee's estranged wife, who was shot outside the ICICI Bank branch where she worked, and Shiva Vajpayee, his 28-year-old sister, who was killed at their shared residence. Both were declared dead.
What was the background of the couple's relationship?
Manas Vajpayee and Divya Mishra had been married for approximately 12 years but had reportedly been living separately for more than a year. According to police, Mishra had filed for divorce last year.
What did Manas Vajpayee post on WhatsApp before dying?
Before dying by suicide, Vajpayee reportedly posted a WhatsApp status stating he had killed his wife and intended to kill himself and others. A neighbour who saw the status entered the house and discovered the bodies.
What is the current status of the police investigation?
DCP (East) Dr Diksha Sharma confirmed the sequence of events and the identity of the accused. Police have recovered three firearms from the residence and are continuing to investigate the full circumstances behind the killings and suicide.
