Delhi man lived on streets for 13 days after killing former live-in partner; arrested

Police said Deepak Kumar left a note that indicated he intended to die by suicide after killing his former live-in partner but could not muster up the courage to carry through the plan

NEW DELHI: A 37-year-old auto-rickshaw driver, who had been living on Delhi streets for two weeks after allegedly killing his former live-in partner, has been arrested from outside the Yamuna Vihar Hanuman Temple near Red Fort, police said on Monday.

Deepak Kumar, 37, was arrested for the murder of his former live-in partner on August 1

The suspect, Deepak Kumar, had been on the run since August 1 after his 43-year-old former partner, Pooja, who uses only one name, was found bludgeoned to death at her Geeta Colony house in east Delhi. Police said the suspect left behind a note that revealed his plan to die by suicide after killing Pooja but there were indications that he could not muster up the courage and aborted this plan.

Deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Rohit Kumar Meena said Deepak Kumar was arrested on Sunday following a tip by a homeless man living around Nigam Bodh Ghat who recognised the suspect from a photograph and told the police team canvassing the area that they may find Kumar on the streets outside the temple.

“Our teams looked around the temple and found Kumar on the pavement… We have solved the murder case by arresting Kumar,” said Meena.

Kumar allegedly told the police that he attempted to kill himself by inflicting cuts on his hands using a blade that he bought before killing Pooja. “However, he could not muster up the courage to kill himself,” said DCP Meena.

Police said Pooja’s first husband died many years ago. She got remarried but it didn’t work and they separated. Pooja came in contact with Deepak Kumar about four years ago and the two were together for four years.

But two months ago, they separated after multiple fights over his lingering suspicion that she was also in a relationship with another man. Kumar shifted out and started living in southwest Delhi’s Najafgarh area, not far from where his sister Sonia lived. “However, he was still enraged and felt cheated. He killed Pooja out of his anger and frustration, the DCP added.

Meena said the Geeta Colony police station received a call about Pooja’s murder at about 7:30pm on August 1. She had been bludgeoned to death with a hammer. Pooja’s son, a teenager, allegedly told the police that Kumar had come over earlier in the afternoon before he left for his tuition classes. When he returned, the door was locked. Pooja’s son broke open the door to find his mother dead.

Deepak Kumar was missing.

A police team reached out to his sister Sonia who allegedly told investigators that Deepak Kumar called her in the evening to say that he had killed Pooja and that he was going to die by suicide. “A team was sent to Sonia’s house to search for clues… and a purported suicide note left behind by Kumar was found”, he said.

Kumar’s phone was switched off. Since the last location was close to the Yamuna, Meena said police teams started an extensive search along the river bank. Another police team also coordinated with the UP authorities to check if Kumar’s body had washed up there.

But there was no breakthrough, leading police teams to focus on the areas around the Yamuna. Police teams were assigned to canvass the neighbouring localities with photographs of the suspect, which led one team to a homeless man who recognised the suspect.