S Delhi killer doctor’s family say no major argument over domestic help

A dermatologist in New Delhi is arrested for allegedly murdering his domestic worker, citing unresolved employment disputes and mental health issues.

New Delhi

The house where the incident took place. (HT Photo)

The family of a 50-year-old dermatologist who was arrested for allegedly murdering his domestic worker on the terrace of his apartment in Mount Kailash area on Thursday said that there had been disagreements over the domestic worker’s employment, but no major argument, police officers aware of the probe said on Friday.

Meanwhile, doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) told the police that the worker, 45-year-old Meena Haldar, died due to severe injuries to her neck.

“She was first hit with a bat on her head and collapsed. She was alive but then was attacked with a knife multiple times, to slit her throat and causing other stab injuries. She died on the spot within seconds,” a senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, said.

On Thursday morning, Dr Manish Gupta is alleged to have attacked Haldar on the terrace, with a neighbour informing the police about a body lying in a pool of blood. At the time of the incident, his 19-year-old son was at home, while his wife, Tina Gupta, an ayurvedic doctor, had left for work. Haldar, of Kolkata, had been working at Gupta’s house and two to three other houses in the locality for 10-15 years.

Police said that Gupta, despite sustained interrogation, maintained that he killed the domestic workers for bringing “bad energy” that affected his son’s academics.

An investigator, who did not wish to be named, said, “Gupta has said that he did not feel he was being valued in his own home because he had demanded that Haldar be removed from the job but nobody listened to him. He said this angered him and he attacked Haldar. He did not plan this.”

“We questioned his son, who said he had no idea his father had done something. We have not got a clear answer. His wife said they did have a discussion about Haldar and Gupta had asked to remove her. But when she disagreed, there was no further argument or fight. She said she never anticipated this because Gupta always behaved well with domestic workers.”

A second officer, who did not wish to be named, said his wife and son also revealed that he had been taking anti-depressants and other treatment for mental health issues for the past 10 years. “We are still checking his documents and verifying where he went for treatment. We will also question his doctors to understand if there was a trigger or a recent behavioural change. This might help to establish a clear motive,” the officer said.

DCP (southeast) Hemant Tiwari said the Delhi Police are likely to recreate the crime scene in the murder of a domestic help allegedly killed by a dermatologist at his residence in southeast Delhi’s Mount Kailash area, police sources said on Friday.

Haldar’s family said they still did not know why she was killed and demanded a fair probe.

Robin, Haldar’s son, said, “My father, my wife…everyone is in shock. We don’t know if Gupta acted alone or if his son was also involved. My mother had been working very hard everyday to support us. My wife and I have been trying to conceive for years but faced some fertility issues. My mother was helping us with the tests and treatment bills. She always went out of her way to help everyone in the family. She always praised the Guptas. Why did they do this? If she was doing bad work, they could have removed her.”