NEW DELHI: A septuagenarian couple was found brutally murdered in their home in Kohat Enclave, Pitampura, on Tuesday morning. Their house, located in northwest Delhi, had been ransacked, with the locker broken open. The couple was throttled with a nebuliser pipe and assaulted with a rod too.
The couple had recently hired a new caretaker, who is now absconding and has emerged as the prime suspect in the case, police say. He has been captured on CCTV camera walking out of the house with a backpack around 5.15am on Monday, sources said. Police have filed an FIR of murder during robbery and police commissioner Sanjay Arora has formed 10 teams to crack the case, which has left the locality shaken.
“My father had Parkinson’s disease and would often feel hassled at night. Though we lived in the adjacent house, he still faced issues and needed immediate help,” said an emotional Chanpreet Singh, the eldest son of the elderly couple found murdered in Pitampura on Tuesday morning.
“A few months ago, my mother asked for a separate night attendant for my father. We had one till two months ago, but my father’s condition improved, so we took a break. But of late, he felt unwell again, and the former attendant gave a reference for this new man who allegedly killed them,” Singh added.
Mohinder Singh Talwar, the deceased, had built a successful readymade clothes business in west Delhi’s Jwalaheri market 30-35 years ago. He later opened another shop in Kamla Nagar market. Seven-eight years ago, the couple handed over the reins of the business to their two sons, opting for a quieter life at home.
Tuesday was supposed to be just another morning for the family and other residents of the building. The family had last met the couple on Sunday night around 8pm, but couldn’t meet them on Monday.
“Their driver came on Tuesday morning and rang the bell. But nobody answered. As we live nearby, he informed us. My wife went to check and unlocked the house. She had the shock of her life seeing them dead like that,” Singh said.
The discovery has deeply affected the family, it has traumatised Singh’s wife. “The crime scene was horrifying. We had never imagined seeing something like this ever — pipes around their necks, rods with blood on them. The killer was ruthless and brutal,” rued a visibly shaken Singh.
“The almirahs were open and bags were torn. The house was in a mess. He had just been here for two days… We couldn’t know his antecedents or complete his police verification. We don’t even know his name as my parents had just hired him,” Singh lamented.
The incident had also rattled other families in the building and colony residents. The Mehras live on the upper ground floor of the building and a retired Army officer on the first floor. Another family occupies the third floor. Police have spoken to them and checked the footage of the CCTV cameras.
Relatives, friends and neighbours queued up at house number 307, shock and disbelief written all over their face. Residents described the elderly couple as friendly and respected members of the community. “Of late, they socialised less due to age, but they were warm and affectionate,” said a neighbour.
Such a heinous crime in their locality has left many stunned. “Criminal activities are not common here. Two years ago, a 19-year-old woman died mysteriously, but no such horrific murder,” said another neighbour.
The society in northwest Delhi where the elderly couple lived has 24-hour security guards. Located in an upscale area, Kohat Enclave features large bungalows and has guards posted at all gates. Given the tight security, it’s highly unlikely that an outsider could commit a crime here and leave, said residents. As the guards knew the accused, they allowed him to leave with a bag without any suspicion, they added.
Residents are reviewing the security of the locality, alerting the guards and checking their CCTV footage. The local welfare association plans to raise awareness about the need to verify servants.
Police are trying to gather information about the missing attendant, including his previous employment details and possible whereabouts.
