Shahdara double murder: Police hunt for masked man seen on CCTV outside house

Delhi Police are investigating the murder of an elderly couple in Shahdara, with a masked suspect seen on CCTV before the crime. The couple’s son has been questioned.

Delhi Police said a masked suspect has been seen in multiple CCTV footage outside the house of the elderly couple who was found dead at their house in Shahdara’s Mansarovar Park in the early hours of Sunday. The couple’s son, who was taken into custody on Sunday has been released for now, police said.

The couple’s home in east Delhi’s Shahdara. (Ishant Chauhan/HT Photo)

“A masked suspect was first spotted around 6.30pm on Saturday and then around 8.20pm in the CCTVs. He was found walking near the house. His activities were suspicious and we are looking for him. It looks like he came alone and without any vehicle,” an officer said.

Bodies of Virender Kumar Bansal, 75, a retired school teacher, and his wife Parvesh Bansal, 65, a homemaker, were found in separate rooms in their third-floor residence in Rama Nagar Extension.

According to investigating officers, an initial probe has suggested that Virendra was struck on the head and face with a heavy object while Parvesh was strangled to death. Further, Parvesh’s jewellery was missing from her body.

Officers said they were informed about the crime by the couple’s son, Vaibhav Bansal, 28, who lived with them and works as a gym trainer in northeast Delhi’s Ghonda. He allegedly found their bodies at 12.15am when he returned from the gym, following which he informed the police.

“The masked suspect was seen hours before the murder. We don’t know the exact time of the murder since the son was out for a long time. We also suspect that the accused had a spare key or managed to make a duplicate key to the house. The residence has an electronic lock system,” a second officer said.

On Monday, police said Vaibhav has been questioned multiple times since Sunday and has been released for now. They are now looking into possibilities of robbery and personal dispute.

Police had earlier said that the accused had a “friendly entry” into the house and the television was on at the time of the murder in order to “mask” the screams that would follow.

The second officer said post mortem examination of the two bodies was done on Monday morning and they are questioning Vaibhav, his sister Ekta, their domestic help, and other relatives.