A 38-year-old accountant along with his wife and a teenage daughter were murdered on Friday night in Hapur. Their heads and faces were found smashed. Police suspect that the mother and daughter might have been raped.

Bhushan Sharma (38), his wife Shikha Sharma (36) and their daughter Simran (15) were murdered at their residence in upmarket Devlok Colony in Hapur, Ghaziabad.

The couple’s younger daughter Vanshika escaped unscathed as she had gone to her grandmother’s house in the same area.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Jagdish Sharma said the police received information of the triple murder around 3.45 pm.

“When no one answered the doorbell, neighbours got suspicious and informed the police station around 3.30 pm. We reached the spot and broke open the door. We found the three lying in the pool of blood with their faces and heads smashed,” added the SP.

Earlier, the police suspected robbery to be the reason why the family was murdered. But late in the evening they said rivalry might be a plausible motive.

“As no door was broken open, we have reason to suspect that that the assailants were known to the family. Moreover, no jewellery was stolen. We have detained a few of the family members for interrogation,” added Sharma.

“The post mortem is yet to be conducted. We cannot comment yet on whether the women were raped,” said Sharma.

“The girl was only 15 and a bright student of Vibgyor International School of Pilkhuwa. It was a terrible to see her smashed face, head and half-naked body,” said one of the neighbours.