Madhya Pradesh Chhindwara Man Killed 8 Members Family Later Hangs Himself Suffering Mental Illness

New Delhi: A man in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district allegedly killed eight members of his family before taking his own life, police reported on Wednesday. The man, identified as Dinesh Gond, is suspected to have suffered from mental illness.  

The gruesome incident occurred late Tuesday night in the tribal village of Bodal Kachhar, approximately 145 km from the district headquarters, reported news agency PTI.

Gond, also known as Bhura, is believed to have launched the attack around 2.30 am, while the family was asleep. The victims included his 55-year-old mother Siyabai, his 23-year-old wife Varsha, his 35-year-old brother Shravan Kumar, and Shravan’s 30-year-old wife Baratobai.

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He also murdered his 16-year-old sister Parvati, his five-year-old nephew Krishna, and his nieces Sewnti, aged 4, and Deepa, aged 1, with an axe. All eight victims died on the spot.

Dinesh also attacked a 10-year-old neighbour, but he was rescued by his grandmother. Neighbours, alerted by the screams, entered the house, prompting Dinesh to flee. His body was later found hanging from a tree about 100 metres away from the house.

Motive Remains Unknown 

The motive behind the attack remains unknown. Police have arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation. According to local residents, Dinesh Gonda’s mental condition had deteriorated after his marriage.

“The accused was mentally ill and was undergoing treatment. He killed his wife, brother, sister-in-law and other members of his family (a total of eight persons) and then died by suicide. He was suffering from schizophrenia,” said Anil Singh Kushwaha, Inspector General of Police (IG) Jabalpur Zone, as quoted by PTI.

“After consultation with doctors we came to know that a person suffering from the disease may attack people. Later, he realised that he committed a mistake and died by suicide. So, prima facie, it seems that this may have happened in this case as well, he must have realised his mistake and committed suicide. We are investigating the case,” Kushwaha added.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident and assured a thorough investigation.

“I got to know that a mentally unstable person has killed 8 people of his family and then died by suicide. This is an unfortunate incident. I have asked one of our ministers Sampatiya Uikey to visit Chhindwara. She will meet the members of the family. An investigation of the incident will be done. We will do everything possible for the victims,” CM Yadav said.