Delhi woman held for killing two daughters in Malviya Nagar, evading answers to cops' questions

Police said she sometimes claims that one daughter poisoned her and sometimes says she doesn't remember how they were killed.

A 54-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly killing her two daughters earlier this month at their residence in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar before herself consuming poisonous substance. Police said the woman was discharged from the hospital and is currently evasive during the interrogation.

Doctors told police that the mother’s behaviour suggested that she was under mental stress due to her marital discord, financial dependence and condition of her ailing daughter. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo/Representative)

“The woman was discharged from the hospital after due examination. She has since been arrested for the murder of her two daughters. We are still trying to ascertain the exact sequence of events and the reasons leading to the double murder and the alleged suicide attempt. The arrested woman is currently not responding properly to our questions, further investigation is underway,” said deputy commissioner of police (south) Anant Mittal.

On March 5 evening, a 61-year-old man called the Malviya Nagar police and informed that his wife and daughters are not opening the door of their house in F-Block. Police said when a team reached there, they broke the window above the main door to gain access to the house. The two sisters –- aged 34 and 28 –- were found dead in separate rooms while their mother was found unconscious. Investigators at the spot also saw both her wrists slit.

A case of murder was registered and investigation was taken up. Initial investigation revealed that the 54-year-old woman and her husband had a strained relationship and were not on talking terms for the past eight years.

According to police, the man owns a garment shop in Greater Kailash, the 28-year-old daughter was pursuing law from University of Delhi, while the elder daughter was intellectually challenged.

The trader, his wife and their two daughters used to live on the ground floor, while his mother lived on the first floor, his brother’s family on the third floor and his sister’s family on the fourth floor.

Doctors told police that the mother’s behaviour suggested that she was under mental stress due to her marital discord, financial dependence and condition of her ailing daughter.

“She has been evading our questions or giving contradictory statements regarding the crime and its motive. Sometimes, she claims that one daughter poisoned her. But when we ask who killed her daughters, the woman claims she doesn’t remember how they were killed. She complains of extreme headache and discomfort when we question her further,” said a police officer.