NEW DELHI: A former domestic helper and her husband have been arrested for allegedly murdering a 75-year-old woman at her residence in Lajpat Nagar earlier this week. The woman had worked at the victim’s house 15 years ago for about three-four years. The accused were identified as Rani (25) and her husband, Yogesh (31). During investigation, police found that Rani had gone to meet Kulwant Kaur, the victim, two days before the murder. Kaur had also told one of her daughters about the visit. “Shamina, her current helper, told us she had seen Rani’s phone number written on a piece of paper, which we later found,” an officer said. CCTV footage from a nearby spot captured the movements of Rani and Yogesh. Police created a route map and nabbed the duo from Chattarpur Enclave on Wednesday. The victim’s two gold bangles and gold ring were recovered from their possession. According to Sagar Preet Hooda, special commissioner of police (law and order), the accused were in desperate need of money as they had a rental income of only Rs 7,000 from a shop. They used to run a small restaurant but it shut down during the pandemic. “Their earnings were insufficient for the lavish lifestyle they aspired to. On November 6 (Sunday), Rani visited Kaur at her house. The elderly woman was very happy to see her. Rani discovered the woman’s three daughters were married now and that her husband had died. She told her husband that Kaur was living alone, and they plotted to rob and murder her,” police said. Sources said between 3pm and 4pm on Tuesday, the duo came to meet the woman. “Rani introduced Kaur to her husband and went to the kitchen under the guise of making tea. Within minutes, she came out and lied that there was no milk. When Kaur headed to the kitchen, the accused strangled her with the clothes they had brought with them and fled with the jewellery. They had masks on, so assumed they wouldn’t be recognised,” a source said. Another source said the duo was confident of not getting caught as they thought there would be no eyewitness. “The woman planned to open a beauty parlour by selling the looted jewellery,” an officer said. The accused have been booked under IPC Section 302 (murder). On Tuesday, Kaur was found murdered at her Lajpat Nagar IV house. There were injury marks on her body, indicating she was strangled. Her jewellery had been forcefully removed. Inspection of the spot pointed to a ‘friendly’ entry into the house. A murder case was registered and a team led by inspectors Aishveer Singh and Pradeep Kumar was formed. Police recovered 83 bottles of illicit liquor and a pistol with two live cartridges from the duo’s house. Yogesh and his elder brother may be involved in illicit liquor trafficking, cops said. A case under the Excise Act has been registered.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-couple-detained-for-murder-of-75-year-old/articleshow/95436328.cms