A man hacked eight of his family members to death with an axe in India after squabbling with his wife.
Dinesh Saryam, 22, killed his wife, children and parents before taking his own life in Bodal Kacher – a tribal village in the Indian city of Chhindwara – on May 29 between 2.30am and 3am.
The mass murder took place just eight days after Saryam and his wife Varsha got married and is said to have unfolded during a dispute between the two, although his motive remains unknown.
According to the local police, the tribal man was mentally disturbed and they are exploring the possibility of drug addiction as a contributing factor.
The elder sister of the accused killer, Asha Bai, stated that her brother’s behaviour changed drastically after getting married.
She noticed that he seemed uneasy and his demeanour had shifted.
According to Asha, despite his love of filming content for social media, Saryam did not film anything during his wedding celebrations.
One of the children in the family managed to escape during the horrific massacre and alert the authorities, narrowly avoiding being murdered.
The Mahuljhir police found the bodies of the victims scattered throughout the residence and confiscated the axe used by Saryam.
The local community is in a state of shock after the devastating attack and the authorities are trying to uncover more details surrounding the chilling case.
The chief minister of the area, Mohan Yadav, has ordered a thorough probe and announced that the surviving and injured family members will receive money for hospital treatment.