Ex-armyman shoots daughter, commits suicide in Chittorgarh

JAIPUR/UDAIPUR: A retired armyman woke up his sleeping 21-year-old daughter and then shot her dead before turning the weapon on himself in Chittorgarh on Monday because she defied his choice of groom for her marriage.
After shooting his daughter, he went to his room, bolted it and shot himself in the head. The man’s wife was in another room when she heard gunshots and was shocked to find her husband and their only child lying in pools of blood in two different rooms.
Police say that an enquiry is underway to ascertain what made the man, identified as Ghisu Singh (65), take such a drastic step. However, sources revealed that Singh and his daughter Anita Kanwar had differences over her impending marriage. The father had fixed her marriage without her consent and she wanted to marry the boy of her choice.
The incident took place in the town’s Civil Lines Colony early in the morning. “Though there is no eyewitness to the incident, we can presume how the incident must have taken place based on our preliminary investigation. Anita was yet to wake up when Ghisu Singh came into her room. He woke her up and then shot her in the head,” said a senior police officer.
The officer said that Singh then went to his room. “After bolting it from inside, he sat on a chair and then fired at himself. The bullet pierced his head. He also died on the spot,” said the officer.
The events transpired before Singh’s wife could understand what was happening. “She then realized that she had heard gunshots. She went to her daughter’s room where she found her lying in a pool of blood. She then peeked into her husband’s room from a window. A couple of neighbours had also heard the gunshots following which they reached the house,” said the officer. The neighbours informed the police following which senior police officers rushed to the spot.
SP, Chittorgarh Prasanna K Khamesra said that the police have not been able to record the statement of Singh’s wife because she was in a state of shock. “We are yet to determine what made Singh kill his daughter and then commit suicide,” said the officer.
Sources, however, said that Singh and Anita were not on good terms since the past few days. “The issue of Anita’s marriage could be the reason of differences between them. Further investigation is going on,” said the officer.