Relative, friend held for murder of 55-year-old woman in northeast Delhi

Police said the two men entered the woman’s house on Saturday night on friendly terms, knowing she was alone and expecting to find around ₹5 lakh in cash

Four days after the body of a 55-year-old woman with multiple stab wounds was found at her house in Amar Colony in northeast Delhi’s Jyoti Nagar, police on Thursday said they have arrested two men, including her 21-year-old relative, for allegedly murdering her during a robbery.

Interrogation of the arrested men revealed that they were under financial stress owing to outstanding loans which they were unable to repay, said police. (Representational image)

The accused were identified by their first names as Umesh, 21 — a cousin of the slain woman Vimla Devi’s daughter-in-law — and his friend Vipin, 22, both residents of Nand Nagri in northeast Delhi.

“Interrogation of the arrested men revealed that they were under financial stress owing to outstanding loans which they were unable to repay. In order to overcome their financial difficulties, they conspired to commit a robbery, which ultimately resulted in the murder of the 55-year-old woman,” said deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Ashish Mishra.

Police said the two men entered the woman’s house on Saturday night on friendly terms, knowing she was alone and expecting to find around ₹5 lakh in cash. After allegedly killing her, they ransacked the house but could not find the money. They then stole gold jewellery worth around ₹6 lakh, including ornaments she was wearing, and fled, an investigator said, adding that all the stolen articles have been recovered.

Recapping the case, additional deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Sandeep Lamba said Jyoti Nagar police were alerted on Sunday morning about a woman lying injured at her home.

“A police team reached the spot and rushed the woman to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead. She was identified as Vimla Devi. Her body was sent to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for autopsy,” Lamba said.

A case of murder was registered at Jyoti Nagar police station, and investigators began probing whether the killing stemmed from robbery, personal enmity or a property dispute.

Initial investigation and inspection of the crime scene suggested that the woman was killed by someone known to her, as there were no signs of forced entry. She was alone at home as her husband, Mahabir, had gone out of Delhi for work. The couple’s two sons live elsewhere with their respective families, police said.

During the probe, Lamba said investigators scanned CCTV footage from the neighbourhood. Technical analysis and local inquiries revealed that two men had visited the woman’s house on a motorcycle. Further investigation identified one of them as Umesh, the woman’s relative.

“Umesh was arrested on Wednesday and he admitted to the crime. His interrogation led to the arrest of his associate, Vipin, and the recovery of the stolen jewellery, the motorcycle and the knife used in the offence,” Lamba said.