Melbourne teacher Sunil Sharma allegedly murdered by brother in India
Consensus Summary
Sunil Sharma, a 66-year-old Melbourne maths teacher and father of two, went missing in Amritsar, India, on May 22, 2026, while handling property matters ahead of retirement. Indian police allege his brother Satish Sharma, along with Satish’s wife Anushka, their son Sunish, and a property dealer named Lakshman Singh, drugged Sunil with sleeping pills, killed him with a baseball bat, and dumped his body in the Harike canal. Satish Sharma was arrested on June 7, 2026, and police are searching for Sunil’s remains. The accused are accused of fabricating a power of attorney to sell Sunil’s properties, with police claiming the murder may have been motivated by a property dispute. Sunil’s daughter Surbhi Sharma has publicly mourned her father, describing him as a loving and dedicated teacher, while the Australian Indian diaspora community and Sunil’s former school have expressed shock and condolences.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Sunil Sharma, a 66-year-old Melbourne maths teacher, went missing in Amritsar, Punjab, India, on May 22, 2026, while attending to property matters.
- Indian police allege Satish Sharma (Sunil’s brother), his wife Anushka, and son Sunish, along with property dealer Lakshman Singh, are involved in Sunil’s murder.
- Police claim Satish Sharma drugged Sunil with sleeping pills, then killed him with a baseball bat, and the group dumped his body in the Harike canal.
- Satish Sharma was arrested by Amritsar police on June 7, 2026, and a major search is underway to recover Sunil’s body.
- Sunil Sharma was a teacher at Diamond Valley College in Melbourne’s north-east for 13 years.
- Sunil’s daughter Surbhi Sharma described him as 'intelligent, strong, funny, loving, and sensitive' and paid tribute to his life.
- The accused allegedly fabricated a power of attorney to sell Sunil’s two investment properties and his sister’s property.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Indian authorities say Melbourne man Sunil Sharma was drugged by relatives then killed with a baseball bat (repeated emphasis).
- Surbhi Sharma mentioned her brother Saransh Sharma in a family photo description.
- ABC reported that Surbhi Sharma was informed by authorities that her uncle (Satish) had been arrested by police on Saturday night (local time).
- Documents seen by THEAGE suggest Satish Sharma has confessed to the murder, possibly due to a dispute over property.
- THEAGE explicitly states the accused included property dealer Lakshman Singh, not mentioned in ABC’s headline but implied in ABC’s text.
- THEAGE includes a quote from the Punjabi Community of Victoria’s president Param Jaswal condemning the crime and praising police work.
- THEAGE notes the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the death and arrests but declined to comment.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC states Satish Sharma’s wife and son assisted in removing evidence, while THEAGE specifies Satish’s wife (Anushka) and son (Sunish) were involved, but ABC does not name the son.
- ABC does not mention Lakshman Singh as an accused, while THEAGE explicitly names him as part of the arrests.
Source Articles
Missing Melbourne teacher allegedly murdered by brother in India
Indian authorities allege Melbourne maths teacher Sunil Sharma was murdered by his brother and dumped in a canal. He had been in India to prepare a property for sale.
Melbourne maths teacher drugged, bashed with baseball bat, then dumped in canal, say Indian police
Police in the city of Amritsar have accused Sunil Sharma’s brother of murdering the Melbourne teacher over a property dispute.