Marriage Offer Rejected Thrice, Noida Man Storms Girl's Terrace, Stabs Her Mother To Death

A 26-year-old man, allegedly enraged over repeated rejection of his marriage proposal, stormed onto a terrace and stabbed an entire family while they slept, leaving a 40-year-old woman dead and three others critically injured in Noida’s Harola area.

The attack took place around 1.30am on Sunday on the terrace of a four-storey building in Sector 5, where the family was sleeping under the open sky to escape the heat. Police said the accused, identified as Harpal, allegedly climbed through a neighbouring house to reach the terrace before launching the attack.

Sanju Devi succumbed to her injuries after being rushed to a private hospital in Sector 27. Her husband, Surendra Sharma (43), and daughters Jyoti (20) and Julie (17) sustained grievous stab wounds and are undergoing treatment.

The accused lived in the same locality and operated an AC repair shop nearby. Police believe the attack was triggered by mounting anger after the family repeatedly turned down his marriage proposal for Jyoti.

“Initial inquiry shows the attack resulted from an alleged love affair. Over the past year, Harpal sent a marriage proposal for Jyoti more than thrice, but her family rejected it each time,” said Manisha Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP).

Police revealed that Jyoti’s marriage had earlier been arranged elsewhere, but the alliance reportedly collapsed after Harpal allegedly created a disturbance. “He proposed again and began pressuring the family to agree, but they refused. It appears he attacked them in that rage,” Singh said.

Sanju Devi was stabbed multiple times in the throat during the savage attack. Surendra Sharma suffered serious injuries on the left side of his neck while trying to protect his family. Jyoti was stabbed in the shoulder, while Julie sustained injuries to her leg.

“The girls raised an alarm, but by then Sanju had already been stabbed repeatedly,” the officer said.

The victim’s family lived as tenants in the building, where Surendra worked as a caretaker and carpenter. Jyoti reportedly worked in a factory as a tailor. The building owner, Rajkumar, rented out over 100 rooms in the property. Harpal had previously lived there before shifting to his nearby shop.

Even after the attack, residents claimed the accused continued roaming the compound with the knife in hand, shouting aggressively and threatening anyone who tried to approach him.

Police have launched an intensive manhunt and formed three separate teams to track down the accused. “We are in the process of registering an FIR. CCTV footage is being scanned and his criminal record is being checked,” the ADCP said.