Murder or suicide? Video of daughters beating man in Madhya Pradesh's Morena adds twist to mystery

BHOPAL: Two days after a man in MP’s Morena was found hanging at home, a chilling video has emerged, showing his daughters brutally assaulting him as his wife holds him down.
Police, who initially took the death as a suicide, are investigating the possibility of murder. The victim, Haren- dra Maurya, worked as an electrician and had three daughters and a son. He married off the two elder daughters on March 1, and was dead within a week.
On the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, Harendra’s family called police to say the 53-year-old had died by suicide at home in Gandhi Colony, Morena, 40km from Gwalior. Kotwali police inspected the scene and sent the body for post-mortem. It seemed like an open-and-shut case.
However, the investigation took an unexpected turn when a video surfaced on Monday, showing Harendra’s family members thrashing him with a stick. The disturbing footage shows the man screaming and pleading for mercy as his elder daughter repeatedly hits him. His son tries to intervene but is pushed aside by the woman, who proceeds to thrash her father again. Harendra tries to break free, but his wife holds him down and the beating continues.
The video is said to have been taken on Jan 2, 2025. It’s not yet clear how it ended up on social media.
Police have now sought a second opinion from forensic experts in Gwalior to determine cause of death. Police sources said Harendra was addicted to drugs, which led to frequent quarrels with family members.
Police have also found that on March 2, a day after the marriage of two elder daughters, Harendra’s wife asked for separation and told him that she would go to her father's house.
“The case was initially reported as a suicide. However, after this two-month-old video surfaced, showing the deceased being beaten, we are looking at other angles too,” Morena SP Samir Saurabh said.
Police are now questioning Harendra’s family members, while they wait for the forensics report, which will determine the course of investigation.