'Mixed dhatura with sweets': Laxmi Nagar man confesses to killing mother, two siblings

The accused added that he was “under severe financial stress” and had not been working for several months.

A 25-year-old man allegedly murdered his mother, sister and 14-year-old brother at their house in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar, police said on Monday, adding that the accused said he was “under severe financial stress” and had not been working for several months. Investigators said the man allegedly fed his family sweets laced with a sedative before strangling them to death.

The shocking case sent shockwaves in the Subhash Chowk area on Monday evening (Hindustan Times)

The accused, identified by police as Yashveer Singh, a cab driver by profession, walked into the Laxmi Nagar police station around 5pm on Monday and surrendered, investigators said. He confessed to killing his family members and told officers that he had mixed “dhatura” – a poisonous plant – into the sweets he fed them. However, police said the exact substance used is yet to be confirmed as Singh has been repeatedly changing his statements.

The shocking case sent shockwaves in the Subhash Chowk area on Monday evening, where neighbours gathered outside the house, many filming the scene on their phones. Several residents said they barely knew the family, describing them as quiet and reserved.

Deputy commissioner of police (east) Abhishek Dhania said Singh informed the police that he killed his family due to financial problems. “Around 5pm, Singh came to Laxmi Nagar police station and stated that because of financial distress, he had killed his family members,” Dhania said. “Police teams immediately rushed to the address given by him. On verification, the bodies of his mother, sister and brother were found inside the house. All facts and circumstances are being verified, and further investigation is underway.”

The three victims were identified as 46-year-old Kavita Singh, her 23-year-old daughter Meghana, and her 14-year-old son Mukul. Police said the family had been living in a rented three-bedroom flat on the first floor of the building for the past two years.

HT graphic

According to investigators, Yashveer’s father works as a truck driver and does not live at the Laxmi Nagar house. He reportedly visits occasionally but is mostly away for work. “He told us that for the last seven months, he couldn’t pay the ₹20,000 rent and was facing mounting pressure,” an officer aware of the case said.

The final trigger, investigators said, was Yashveer’s wife leaving him. “His wife left him on Sunday after an argument over his gambling habits and alleged drug addiction. This appears to have deeply affected him,” the officer cited above said.

Police said Singh also claimed during interrogation that he had taken out a life insurance policy worth ₹1.5 crore and had made multiple suicide attempts in the past by deliberately getting into accidents, but failed each time. These claims are being verified, officers added.

Investigators said that on Monday, his mother allegedly scolded him and asked him to stop hurting the family by repeatedly attempting suicide.

Another officer said Yashveer told police that his mother’s remarks triggered him. “He claimed that his mother said something along the lines of everyone dying to end the family’s problems. He says this provoked him, but he keeps changing his version. Nothing is being taken at face value at this stage,” the officer said.

According to his latest statement, he fed his family sweets mixed with a sedative between 2pm and 3pm on Monday. After they became unconscious, he allegedly strangled all three with a muffler around 3pm, police said.

Forensic science laboratory (FSL) teams collected samples from the flat. Police said post-mortem examinations will determine the exact cause of death and whether any poison or sedative was present in the victims’ bodies.

Neighbours described the family as “deeply religious” and largely withdrawn.

Sanjeev Kumar, who lives nearby, said Yashveer’s wife rarely stayed at the house and worked at a private firm in Gurugram. “He was mostly jobless. His family was very religious and kept to themselves. The mother and the two younger children would go to the temple every morning and evening… I still cannot believe that three people were killed in front of our house. We only came to know when police and an ambulance arrived,” Kumar said.

Another resident, Kailash Sharma, who lives in the same building, said “We never heard any fights or anything. I just saw the mother at times. There were mostly only four people who stayed there. They were the only tenants here. We never knew what was happening as nobody interacted with each other.”

Police said Yashveer has been arrested and is being interrogated. His wife and father have been asked to join the investigation.