Brother duo among four held for murder of elderly couple

Police said yoga instructor Mohak Shashtri and his brother Mayank,who had been imparting yoga lessons to the the wife of retired bank officer RN Mehra’s wife,Lata,for the last three months,had planned the murders with the motive of robbery. All the accused are in their twenties and have committed a crime for the first time.

Police arrested Mohak Shashtri,his brother Mayank Shashtri,and their friends Vijendra Kumar and Shiva Mishra,all residents of Ashiana area,for the murder of RN Mehra,a retired bank officer,and his wife Lata,a Labour Department employee.

According to police,Lata,who worked with Labour Department,had contacted Mohak’s father Shiv Kumar Shashtri,who imparts yoga training,as she wanted to do yoga to control her diabetes. Police said Mayank,who also holds a degree of Shashtri,often went to teach her yoga at her home in place of his father. He used to take Mohak,a class 12 pass-out,along with him and the duo got acquainted with the family.

Subhash Chandra,IG (Lucknow),said Shiv Kumar’s family needed money after he developed some kidney problem. It was then Mohak and Mayank planned to rob Mehra’s house. They knew that the couple lived alone and their only daughter used to stay in Delhi.

Police said the brothers accompanied with their two friends — Vijendra and Shiva — reached Mehra’s house in a car owned by Shiv Kumar on the afternoon of April 14. While Mayank and Shiva stayed outside to keep a watch,Mohak and Vijendra entered the house. “As Mohak was known to the family,they let him in. They were also served two glasses of water by Lata. Mohak and Vijendra attacked Mehra and his wife with knives,” said Chandra.

They took jewellery and some cash from an almirah which was not locked. Chandra said police had recovered about 2 kg gold jewellery which Mayank had given to his friend Ritu Garg to keep saying it belonged to his mother.

Chandra said Garg deposited the jewellery in a Punjab and Sindh Bank locker in Naka. He said the car used for going to Mehra’s house has also been recovered.

Lucknow SSP J Ravinder Goud said when Vijendra was attacking Lata,she had bitten on his left hand and the injury mark is still visible. He said Mohak had also suffered a knife wound when he tried to kill Mehra. Goud said the accused did not go to any hospital for treatment and got the wounds wrapped with a bandage by Shiva’s sister.

He said the Mayank’s family locked their house after the incident and went to their native place in Meerut. Goud said they were arrested when they returned to Lucknow on Friday.