A 37-year-old bank employee was allegedly shot dead by her estranged husband outside her workplace in Lucknow on Friday, August 21. The accused, Manas Bajpayee, later allegedly killed his sister at his home before dying by suicide. The sequence of events unfolded within roughly two hours.
Divya Mishra, a relationship manager at ICICI Bank’s Gomti Nagar branch, had reportedly been living separately from Bajpayee since November 2025. She had also filed for divorce in a family court.
According to police, Divya arrived at the bank around 12.05 pm in her car with a colleague. Bajpayee was allegedly waiting nearby in an auto-rickshaw. He reportedly approached her, asked her to step out of the vehicle and shot her before fleeing.
Bajpayee then allegedly returned to his home in Husadiya, around 2 km from the bank. Police said he posted a WhatsApp status referring to his wife’s alleged “betrayal” and claimed responsibility for the shooting. The message also allegedly indicated that he intended to kill his sister and himself. Police said the contents of the message are still being verified.
At around 1.30 pm, police received information about another shooting at Bajpayee’s residence. Officers reached the house shortly afterwards and found Bajpayee and his sister dead. Police also recovered three unlicensed weapons from the residence, according to officials.
Neighbours and nearby restaurant workers reportedly told police that Bajpayee had returned home earlier and played the Hanuman Chalisa at high volume.
Divya’s sister, journalist and YouTuber Pragya Mishra, posted on social media around 1.26 pm saying she had received information about an attack on her sister.
Police said the couple had been living separately for several months. Divya had reportedly sought divorce along with compensation and the return of dowry items. Her sister also said Divya had recently observed a Teej fast for Bajpayee, making the violence particularly unexpected for the family.
Investigators are continuing to verify the circumstances surrounding the shootings, including the claims made in Bajpayee’s WhatsApp status.
