69-year-old killed during robbery at southeast Delhi flat

Elderly woman living alone in southeast Delhi’s Pant Nagar was found murdered at her home after a suspected robbery, with police examining CCTV footage

NEW DELHI

Preeti Kumar was living alone at her Pant Nagar home (Hindustan Times/ Representational image)

69-year-old woman who lived alone in a ground-floor flat of a four-storey building in southeast Delhi’s Pant Nagar was murdered in the early hours of Friday during a suspected robbery, police said, raising fresh concerns over the vulnerability of elderly residents living alone in the city.

Police officers who visited the spot said the woman, Preeti Kumar, had lived alone since her husband died in the 1980s. Her body was found by her daughter, who lives nearby, on Friday morning. Police said they have obtained CCTV footage showing a suspect entering the house around 3.15am and leaving before 4am.

An officer, who asked not to be identified, said police were informed about the incident by Kumar’s brother, who runs a well-known catering and tent-decoration business in the Capital, around 8.30am. Her body was found on the bed, with her hands tied and signs of a nosebleed.

“She lived in a one-bedroom set. Her whole house had been ransacked. We called the crime and forensics team to inspect the scene and then took the body for a post-mortem examination,” the officer said.

The victim’s family said Kumar lived alone and that one of her daughters, Vijaita Arora, who is in her late 40s and lives in Patel Nagar, visited her on Friday morning.

Arora told HT, “I came around 8.15am and saw that the door was half-open. My mother was a very religious woman and she used to often keep the door open after visiting the temple early in the morning. When I entered, I was shocked to see her dead on the bed. She had bruises all over her face and her hands were tied too.”

She said that the house was ransacked. Police said they are in the process of compiling a list of robbed items and assessing their monetary value. She called her uncle, who operates his office in the next street, and that they called the police once he reached the house.

Neighbours said that the burglar latched five neighbouring flats from the outside before entering the victim’s house. “He latched five houses adjacent to the woman’s house, after which he entered her house to ensure the neighbours couldn’t come in case she raised the alarm. I suspect that he conducted a recceand then planned the burglary at this house, considering she was alone and old,” said Balkrishan Wadhwa, 80, a neighbour.

Deepak Sachdeva, Kumar’s son-in-law, raised concerns about the safety and security of senior citizens living alone in the Capital. “So many senior citizens in this day and age live all by themselves because their children don’t stay in the same city or are married and live in nuclear families. A mechanism by security agencies and resident welfare associations may be put in place to keep a check on the safety of elderly people,” he said.

Police said that they have registered a case on charges of murder and other relevant sections at the Nizamuddin Police Station and further probe is underway.

The murder comes within two days of lieutenant governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu reviewing the functioning, adoption, and operational efficacy of the Delhi Police’s dedicated senior citizen mobile application. The LG had underlined the imperative of ensuring prompt grievance redressal, robust emergency assistance, and sustained periodic visits by local police personnel to guarantee the safety, well-being, and confidence of senior citizens living across Delhi.

Several recent cases have highlighted the vulnerability of elderly residents, particularly those living alone or with limited security.

In May 2026, octogenarians Saroj Bala and Chandra Kanta were found dead inside their locked house in New Rajinder Nagar. Autopsies indicated an accidental fall and cardiac arrest. Earlier this year, a 72-year-old man in Paschim Vihar was allegedly choked to death by miscreants who ransacked his home for valuables.

In January, retired teacher Virender Kumar Bansal, 75, and his wife Parvesh, 65, were found dead in Shahdara, with strangulation marks and suspected insider involvement.

In March 2025, Mohinder Singh and Dilraj Kaur, both 70, were murdered in separate rooms of their Kohat Enclave home, allegedly by a newly hired attendant, who fled after stealing cash and jewellery.