Peeragarhi triple murder: Several photos of women found on victim’s phone

During examination of Naresh’s belongings, police found slips of paper in his wallet inscribed with mantras.

Delhi Police have recovered numerous photographs and videos of women from the mobile phone of one of three victims found dead in a car in northwest Delhi’s Peeragarhi last week, and suspect the images were linked to occult practices orchestrated by the alleged perpetrator, a self-styled “baba” arrested in connection with the killings.

Printouts of the photos sent to Kamruddin were recovered from his residence (Representative photo)

The victims – Randhir Singh, 76; Shiv Naresh, 47; and Laxmi, 40 – were found dead in a parked car on a flyover service lane on February 8. There were no visible injuries or signs of struggle. Police later arrested Kamruddin, a Ghaziabad resident, alleging he poisoned the trio with sedative-laced laddoos as part of a ritual for monetary gain called “dhanvarsha”.

Deputy commissioner of police (outer) Sachin Sharma confirmed the recovery of photographs but declined to share further details.

A senior officer said “countless” photographs and videos were found on Laxmi’s cellphone, which had been sent to Kamruddin’s phone over recent months. “The images depicted women having their height measured and holding placards with personal details such as name and parents’ names. The women were referred to as ‘articles’ in accompanying messages,” the officer, who asked not to be identified, said.

Several photos also contained women holding forms containing personal information – including height, parents’ names, last menstrual cycle dates, and whether the women were virgins. “We suspect these women were involved in some kind of occult practice,” the officer said, adding that they are probing if “occultists like Kamruddin” would touch women inappropriately under the pretext of performing rituals for financial gain. To be sure, the officer clarified that no clear evidence or complaint of sexual assault has emerged.

Printouts of the photos sent to Kamruddin were recovered from his residence.

During examination of Naresh’s belongings, police found slips of paper in his wallet inscribed with mantras. One mantra was identified as used by tantriks to summon “djinns”; other notes contained similar cryptic writings believed to have been provided by Kamruddin, the officer said.

Investigators also found that Laxmi was “highly influenced by Kamruddin and many others like him for better health of her husband and monetary gains.”

Police have determined Kamruddin used a combination of crushed sulphas tablets and sleeping pills mixed into laddoos to poison the three individuals. He allegedly prepared the poisoned sweets at a family-run grocery shop in Loni and carried the tablets in a plastic bag when the victims visited his residence on the day of the killings.