88-year-old woman killed in Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave: Police

Kanta Chawla lived on the ground floor of a four-story residential building with her husband. Police said the couple, who lived alone, had hired a security guard about a fortnight ago, who is missing.

An 88-year-old woman was killed with her throat slit and her husband, 94, was tied up in their house in south Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave late on Saturday night, police said on Sunday.

Investigators suspect robbery as a motive behind the killing. (Reuters)

Kanta Chawla lived on the ground floor of a four-story residential building with her husband. Police said the couple, who lived alone, had hired a security guard about a fortnight ago, who is missing.

Their house was ransacked and investigators suspect robbery as a motive behind the killing, senior officers said.

According to the police, the incident took place after 8pm when a few men gained friendly entry into the house and attacked the woman.

They said they were informed late night around 9:30pm when the husband managed to alert neighbours who called the PCR.

“It looks like the woman was killed because she tried to raise alarm to alert others living on the floors above. Her husband who is 94 years old can’t speak or move properly because of the old age and was therefore just tied up,” an investigator, who wished not to be named, said.

Police have found that the couple had a domestic help working at their house.

“With her help, the couple had hired a security guard about a fortnight ago. He is missing. During the preliminary probe, three men were seen escaping in CCTV footages. One of them is possibly the security guard. The security guard was not verified by the police,” the officer added.

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Devender Arya said a case of murder has been registered and they are probing all possible angles.