Lucknow: A new possible motive has emerged in the shocking double-murder suicide that claimed three lives in Lucknow, with police investigating whether a Rs 1.5 crore financial settlement sought during divorce proceedings contributed to the escalation of tensions between banker Manas Bajpayi and his estranged wife, Divya Mishra.
Police are examining the financial dispute alongside the couple’s troubled relationship and disagreements involving Manas’s younger sister, Sheeba, 28. Investigators have stressed that the alimony demand has not been conclusively established as the sole motive and remains one of several angles being examined.
Divorce hearing becomes a key focus
The reported Rs 1.5 crore demand came to light during a family court hearing on August 18, just days before the killings.
According to the preliminary investigation, Manas appeared to become distressed following the hearing. Police are now examining whether the financial settlement discussed during the proceedings intensified an already strained relationship and contributed to the alleged planning of the attack.
The development has added a major new dimension to a case that had already shocked Lucknow because of its sequence of events, involving two separate crime scenes and three deaths.
Troubled marriage preceded the violence
Manas and Divya had been living separately amid a bitter marital dispute. Their relationship had deteriorated to the point that divorce proceedings were underway.
Police are examining allegations and circumstances surrounding the couple's domestic disagreements as they attempt to reconstruct what happened in the days leading up to the shootings.
Court records reportedly indicate that Divya had filed for divorce in January 2026, citing allegations including physical and mental cruelty and dowry-related harassment.
The competing claims and the ongoing legal proceedings are now an important part of investigators' effort to understand the circumstances behind the killings.
Dispute over Manas's sister also investigated
The financial dispute was not the only source of tension identified by investigators.
Police are also examining the relationship between Divya and Manas's younger sister, Sheeba, who was later killed in the same chain of events.
Investigators have indicated that Divya reportedly did not want to live with Sheeba. This disagreement is being examined alongside the divorce dispute to determine whether several unresolved conflicts contributed to the breakdown of the marriage.
The investigation therefore points toward a combination of personal, marital and financial tensions rather than a single confirmed cause.
Three deaths in a single day
The case unfolded in a disturbing sequence on Thursday.
Manas allegedly shot Divya near an ICICI Bank branch in Gomti Nagar, where she worked. He subsequently travelled to another location, where his sister Sheeba was allegedly shot dead before Manas died by suicide.
Police recovered three weapons from the two crime scenes, adding to evidence that the incident involved a carefully unfolding sequence rather than a single confrontation. Investigators are examining the movements of Manas between the locations and the source and use of the weapons.
WhatsApp status offered a disturbing clue
The investigation was further complicated by a WhatsApp status posted from Manas's account.
The message indicated that he had killed his wife and suggested that another act was planned. The status subsequently helped alert people to what had happened, after neighbours noticed the unusual update.
The fact that gunshots reportedly went unnoticed despite occurring in a busy area added another unusual element to the case. According to reports, neighbours became aware of the incident after seeing the WhatsApp status rather than hearing the shots.
Police investigating whether attack was premeditated
Investigators are also examining whether Manas planned the killings in advance.
The sequence involving multiple locations, multiple weapons and the WhatsApp message has raised questions about his movements and preparations before the shootings.
Police are reconstructing his activities following the August 18 family-court hearing in particular, as they seek to determine when the alleged plan took shape and whether the financial dispute influenced his actions.
However, investigators have not publicly concluded that the divorce settlement demand alone caused the violence.
Why the Rs 1.5 crore issue matters
The reported demand is significant because divorce settlements can become contentious when spouses are already involved in prolonged legal disputes.
In this case, police believe the financial issue may have placed additional pressure on an already troubled relationship. But the investigation is also looking at allegations of domestic discord and disagreements over family arrangements.
That distinction is important. A reported financial demand may be part of the circumstances surrounding a crime without being sufficient by itself to establish motive.
Police are therefore expected to examine court documents, communications, financial records and the couple's interactions before reaching a definitive conclusion.
Investigation continues
The Lucknow police investigation now has several interconnected strands: the divorce proceedings, the reported Rs 1.5 crore settlement demand, disagreements involving Sheeba, the couple's history of marital conflict and the sequence of events immediately before the shootings.
The emerging financial angle provides a possible explanation for the escalation, but authorities have yet to establish a single definitive motive.
As investigators continue piecing together the timeline, the central question remains how a bitter marital dispute progressed into a violent episode that resulted in the deaths of Divya Mishra, Sheeba and Manas Bajpayi.
For now, police are treating the Rs 1.5 crore alimony demand as a possible contributing factor—not a conclusively established motive—while continuing to investigate the broader circumstances surrounding the Lucknow double-murder suicide.