A man shot his parents, his wife and seven-year-old son in a village in Raisen district, about 50 km west of Bhopal. His parents and wife died and his son is undergoing treatment at the Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal, the police said on Thursday.

The accused has been absconding after the incident.

Bareli police station in-charge Kunwar Singh Mukati said that accused Jitendra Purwaiya attacked his family with an axe and then shot them before escaping from the scene.

On Wednesday night, the accused had a dispute with his wife Sunita and started beating her. When his parents tried to intervene, he attacked them too and later shot them. His son too was a victim of the attack.

The villagers took the victims to the local hospital where it was found that the minor son was still alive. He was rushed to Bhopal for further treatment.

According to the police, it is still not clear what provoked the attack. Once the accused was arrested, the reason behind the murders could be investigated, the police said.

First Published: May 16, 2019 16:52 IST