'Heart, Liver, Kidneys Pierced': How A UP Man Killed His Twin Sister Over Instagram Romance

Last Updated:March 09, 2026, 13:53 IST

According to investigators, Hardik’s twin sister Himshikha had been advising him to focus on his career instead of getting deeply involved in an online relationship.

In UP’s Moradabad, a shocking crime has left investigators, doctors and neighbours stunned, exposing a disturbing tale of obsession, isolation and a relationship that existed only on social media.

Police say 25-year-old engineer Hardik brutally murdered his twin sister Himshikha and attempted to kill his mother Neelima inside their home in Buddh Vihar area on Friday. The motive, investigators say, appears rooted in an obsessive online relationship that Hardik had developed with a woman he had never met in person.

A relationship that existed only on Instagram

According to police, Hardik had been in contact for nearly one-and-a-half years with a Muslim woman from Pune through Instagram. The two reportedly spoke for hours online and had even promised to marry each other despite never meeting in real life. Circle Officer (Civil Lines) Kuldeep Kumar Gupta said the accused repeatedly spoke about the relationship during interrogation. “Hardik told us he had been in a relationship with a woman from Pune for about 18 months. They communicated only through Instagram and had never met physically. He claimed they had promised to live and die together," Gupta said.

Police say Hardik wanted to marry the woman but believed that her family was harassing and torturing her because of their relationship. Investigators are still trying to identify and locate the woman.

Sister’s advice triggered resentment

According to investigators, Hardik’s twin sister Himshikha had been advising him to focus on his career instead of getting deeply involved in an online relationship.

SP City Ran Vijay Singh said the accused appeared mentally disturbed and repeatedly complained that his sister was interfering in his “personal life". “When we asked him why he killed his sister, he said she tried to control his personal life. She would often tell him to stop obsessing over the girl and focus on his career. He said her constant advice and taunts angered him," Singh said.

Hardik allegedly told police he had warned his sister several times to stop interfering in his life. “He said, ‘I asked her many times to leave me alone, but she kept telling me I had ruined my life because of a girl. That is why I killed her,’" Singh added.

A chilling plan

After murdering his sister, Hardik also attempted to kill his mother. During questioning, his explanation shocked investigators. “He told us that after killing his sister he knew he would go to jail. He said he thought his mother would be left alone and would suffer, so he planned to kill her as well," Singh said.

Neelima survived the attack after managing to escape despite sustaining multiple stab wounds.

Brutal attack with kitchen knife

Police say the murder weapon was a kitchen knife used for cutting vegetables, which was later recovered from the house. The brutality of the crime stunned the medical team that conducted the post-mortem examination. According to the post-mortem report, Himshikha suffered 84 stab wounds across her body.

Doctors found deep wounds on her neck, chest, abdomen, arms, legs, shoulders and face. Internal organs including the heart, liver and kidneys were severely damaged.

One of the doctors involved in the autopsy described the attack as extraordinarily violent. “The injuries were extremely brutal. The heart, liver and kidneys were pierced by repeated knife blows. Even the lungs were ruptured and ribs were broken. There was hardly any part of the body that did not have an injury," a doctor from the post-mortem panel said.

The autopsy process lasted nearly two hours and was videographed due to the extreme nature of the injuries.

The horrifying ‘surprise’

Investigators say the events that followed the murder were equally chilling. After killing his sister inside their house on Friday afternoon, Hardik drove to his mother’s office on Delhi Road, where she works as an assistant manager in a private insurance company.

According to police, he calmly asked her to come home. “He told her, ‘Mummy, come home, I want to give you a surprise,’" an officer involved in the investigation said.

Unaware of what had happened, Neelima accompanied him home in the car. When she opened the door, she saw her daughter’s blood-soaked body lying on the bed and blood splattered across the room. Before she could react, Hardik attacked her with the knife.

Neelima suffered six stab wounds on her shoulder, chest and fingers but managed to escape and seek help.

A family shattered

Neighbours say the family had struggled for years but had worked hard to educate the children. Originally from Jogipura in Badaun district, Neelima had moved to Moradabad nearly three decades ago. After separating from her husband about 10 years ago, she single-handedly raised her twins and ensured they completed engineering.

Both siblings had earlier worked in Gurugram’s IT sector. While Himshikha continued her job and was also pursuing an MBA, Hardik had quit his job about a year-and-a-half ago and started uploading content on YouTube.

Police believe his growing obsession with the online relationship and isolation may have contributed to his deteriorating mental state.

Mother in hospital, son in jail

Neelima is currently recovering in hospital and is said to be out of danger. However, she could not attend her daughter’s last rites due to her injuries. The cremation was performed by Himshikha’s maternal uncle, Deepu, who arrived from Badaun.

According to hospital staff, the grieving mother often breaks down thinking about the tragedy that has destroyed her family. Hardik was arrested from the New Moradabad area on Saturday and later sent to jail after being produced in court.

Officials say that the incident has raised troubling questions about online relationships, mental health and how digital obsessions can spiral into devastating real-world consequences.

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