After tutor kills wife, 3 children, neighbours say they never saw couple fightin

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New Delhi: Neighbours of Upendra Shukla, a private tutor who killed his wife and three minor children in Delhi on Saturday, said they had never noticed the couple fighting. Deepak Agarwal (35), who runs a general store next to the building where the incident took place, said Shukla had come to his shop Friday afternoon and "he looked normal to me".

"He was returning home after buying some items from the market," Agarwal said. Asked about the incident, Agarwal said, "At around 6 am, one person, who lives on the third floor of the building, heard the cry of Shukla's mother-in-law after which he reached his house. When he noticed blood in the room of the accused, he came to me and informed about the incident." Thereafter, the police were informed at around 6.45 am and they reached the spot by 7 am. They broke open the door where Shukla, along with the bodies of his wife and three children, was found, he said. Bharat Mahlawat (36), another neighbour of Shukla, said, "We got information that Shukla has killed his family after slitting their throats. When we reached the spot, we saw that the blood was coming out of the throat of Archana". Archana's mother was also present in the house who was constantly crying, he said.

"The family had bought the fourth-floor flat, which has three rooms, around 5-6 years ago. We have never heard them fighting and their behaviour was good," Mahlawat said. According to the police, the 42-year-old tutor killed his wife and three young children by slitting their throats in the early hours of Saturday in South Delhi's Mehrauli area. Shukla, who used to give private tuition classes of chemistry, killed his wife Archana and their two-month-old daughter, five-year-old son Ronak and seven-year-old daughter Ranya by slitting their throats in the early hours of Saturday, police said.

"We have never seen them fighting. Shukla's mother-in-law had come here around 2-3 months ago before his wife delivered their third child," Agarwal said. Shukla has an elder brother who lives in Bihar. His nephew and niece also live with him and study here. His nephew had gone to his native place couple of days ago. His niece, who is around 12-year-old, left for the school at around 6 in the morning, Agarwal said. Preliminary investigation suggests that the killings took place between 1 and 1.30 am. The knife used in the incident was seized and further investigation is underway, the police said. Shukla has been arrested.

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