Tara Apartments murder: Charge sheet says ₹5L dispute led to murders

Delhi Police has filed a 263-page chargesheet alleging a financial dispute triggered the murder of a father and son in south Delhi's Tara Apartments.

Delhi Police has filed a 263-page chargesheet in the murder of a father and son inside south Delhi’s Tara Apartments, alleging the killings were the culmination of a longstanding financial dispute over ₹5 lakh.

The spot in Tara Apartments where the father and son were stabbed to death on April 17. (Hindustan Times)

The chargesheet, submitted about a fortnight ago against accused neighbour Asad Siddiqui, has been filed under BNS sections 103(1) (murder) and 109(1) (attempt to murder), with 39 prosecution witnesses named, a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity.

According to the police document, the motive was traced to a transaction between Siddiqui and the younger victim, Karan Sood, over a car. “Sood had sold his car to Siddiqui for ₹5 lakh and later took the vehicle back without returning the money. This was the trigger for the murders,” an officer said, paraphrasing the chargesheet.

The chargesheet details a sequence of events on April 17 inside the Alaknanda apartment complex, pieced together through witness statements, forensic reports, CCTV footage, and electronic evidence. Among the 39 witnesses are family members, eyewitnesses, investigating officers, medical experts, and forensic officials, whose testimonies form the backbone of the prosecution’s case.

The chargesheet also documents the statement of injured witness Rahul.

On April 17, 62-year-old property dealer Rakesh Sood and his 27-year-old son Karan were stabbed to death just below their residence. A relative, Rahul, who attempted to intervene, survived with injuries. Siddiqui, 47, was arrested within hours, tracked through local intelligence and technical surveillance, with the vehicle used for his escape also seized.

Investigators have ruled out random violence, pointing instead to a prolonged monetary friction between the two families, who lived in the same complex. Family members had earlier alleged that tensions had simmered for months, and that a complaint of threat had been lodged at CR Park police station prior to the killings.

Separately, police confirmed that Siddiqui has a previous criminal record –- a 2005 case at Sangam Vihar that was initially registered as attempt to murder and later converted to murder.