69-year-old’s murder: CCTV trail shows suspect fleeing through rear of Delhi home

Police probing the murder of 69-year-old Preeti Kumar at her southeast Delhi residence are questioning individuals who visited her home over the past few days, after CCTV footage captured a suspect fleeing from the rear of the property around 4 am, officers aware of the investigation said

Police probing the murder of 69-year-old Preeti Kumar at her southeast Delhi residence are questioning individuals who visited her home over the past few days, after CCTV footage captured a suspect fleeing from the rear of the property around 4 am, officers aware of the investigation said.

Preeti Kumar, who lived alone in a ground-floor one-bedroom residence in Pant Nagar, was found dead on her bed on Friday morning by her daughter, Vijaita Arora (Representative photo)

“The suspect was seen running near a drain behind the house. The route from the spot leads towards Nizamuddin East and the BRT corridor,” a police officer said.

Investigators have also picked up for questioning all those who had called Kumar in the days leading up to the incident, officers said. They are now trying to ascertain whether the suspect had carried out a recce of the house, and if any acquaintance of the elderly woman had shared information about her daily routine or the internal layout of the premises.

Neighbours allegedly told police that the suspect allegedly latched five nearby flats from outside before entering Kumar’s house, to prevent residents from stepping out in case she raised an alarm.

Kumar, who lived alone in a ground-floor one-bedroom residence in Pant Nagar, was found dead on her bed on Friday morning by her daughter, Vijaita Arora. Her hands were bound, and she had bruises on her face along with signs of a nosebleed. The house was ransacked, and police suspect she was killed during a robbery attempt.

CCTV footage from the neighbourhood showed the suspect entering the house around 3.15am, officers said.

A case of murder and other relevant provisions has been registered at Nizamuddin police station.