Ex-BSF soldier kills brother-in-law, commits suicide over marital dispute in Rajasthan

Jaipur: A retired Border Security Force (BSF) soldier allegedly shot and killed his brother-in-law before taking his own life in Rajasthan's Nagaur district early Thursday morning, police said.

The man allegedly carried out the act believing his wife's family were influencing her against him. The incident occurred in Nokha Chandawata village in the Gotan area, they said.

Manroop (48) was a former jawan of the BSF's 174 Battalion and hailed from Khangta village in the Peepad area of Nagaur.

According to Gotan Station House Officer (SHO) Suresh Chaudhary, Manroop used his licensed pistol to shoot his brother-in-law, Pappuram, before using it on himself. Both died on the spot.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Manroop had been upset in a prolonged marital dispute, which had led his wife to move back to her parental home in Chandawata village. He allegedly believed that his wife's family, ” including her siblings, were influencing her against him, leading to repeated arguments.

Before the shooting, Manroop reportedly recorded a six-minute video in which he cited the breakdown of his marriage and the involvement of his in-laws as reasons for his actions. In the video, he stated, "My wife used to speak with her family, especially her sister and brother-in-law, for two to three hours daily." The victim, 35-year-old Pappuram, worked as a Lower Division Clerk (LDC) on a contractual basis at the local panchayat samiti.

Police arrived at the scene soon after being alerted and initiated an investigation. A forensic team collected evidence from the house. The bodies have been sent to the government hospital in Gotan for postmortem examination. Further investigation is underway, police said.