A 45-year-old man allegedly bludgeoned his wife and three daughters to death at their home in Jaipur’s Kardhani area on Friday morning before taking a bath, shaving and making tea for his elderly father, leaving investigators searching for answers about the motive behind the shocking quadruple murder.
Police identified the suspect as Rahul Jha and the victims as his wife, Geeta, 40, and their daughters Nandani, 23, Radhika, 17, and Gracia alias Gauri, 14. The four bodies were found in separate rooms of their house at plot A-169 in Govind Vatika.
Jha’s father, Laxmi Nath Jha, told police that his son woke up in the morning and asked whether he wanted tea. Rahul reportedly went to collect milk from a milkman around 7am, returned home and prepared tea for his father. After serving it, he shaved, took a bath and left the house.
It was only around 9.30am that Laxmi Nath noticed blood inside the house. Suffering from age-related ailments and struggling to get out of bed, he called out to a neighbour through a common wall. The neighbour entered the house, discovered the four bodies and alerted others and the police.
Investigators are examining several possible motives, including financial difficulties and a possible marital dispute. Relatives, however, said the family had shown no obvious signs of trouble.
Rahul’s niece, Simran, said she had spoken to Geeta over a video call on Thursday night and had noticed nothing unusual. She said Geeta ran a beauty parlour, while Nandani had recently joined a private company in its accounts department. Rahul, meanwhile, ran a small business and traded in stocks.
Police sources said all four victims suffered blunt-force injuries to the head. A stone allegedly used in the killings has also been recovered.
Investigators are yet to establish whether the murders were premeditated or resulted from a sudden outburst. However, the fact that Rahul allegedly washed his hands, took a bath, shaved and packed some essentials before leaving has led investigators to examine the possibility of a deliberate and calculated crime.
Police are also working to establish the sequence of events, as neither Laxmi Nath nor neighbours reported hearing screams or unusual sounds during the night or early morning. One line of inquiry is whether the victims may have consumed food or drinks containing a sedative, though this can only be established after toxicology reports are received.
The exact time of death of the four victims has also not yet been determined.
ACP (Jhotwara) Shiv Kumar Bhardwaj said police were investigating all possible motives. A team has been formed to trace Rahul, who investigators suspect may have taken his ATM cards while leaving his mobile phone behind.
