Shamli: A shocking case of murder emerged in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, after a man allegedly killed his wife and two young daughters over a dispute about wearing a burqa, police said on Wednesday. The bodies were later found buried in a seven-foot-deep pit in the family’s home courtyard.

The accused, Farooq, a resident of Garhi village under the Kandhla police station, reportedly shot his wife, Tahira (32), after she went to her parents’ home without wearing a burqa. When their daughters Afreen (14) and Sehreem (7) saw the attack, Farooq allegedly killed them as well.

Police said Farooq and Tahira had been frequently quarreling for months, and he had also been living separately from his parents, Dawood and Asgari, due to ongoing family disputes. The couple had three other children, who were not harmed.

The three victims had been missing for six days, prompting Farooq’s father to alert the authorities when he received unsatisfactory answers about their whereabouts. Upon investigation, Farooq confessed to the murders, citing anger, humiliation, and family tensions as the motive.

According to Superintendent of Police N.P. Singh, Farooq woke his wife on the night of December 9–10 under the pretext of making tea. He then shot Tahira and the elder daughter, while the younger daughter was strangled after witnessing the crime.

Farooq had premeditated the act, digging a seven-foot-deep pit in the courtyard, where he buried the victims and covered them with bricks. Police later excavated the site, recovered the bodies, and sent them for post-mortem examination.

The accused admitted that he had been financially struggling, and repeated arguments over money, combined with the incident of Tahira visiting her parents without a burqa, triggered the horrific murders.