Killer knew murder victim, say police

He found his mother, 50-year-old Rita Aneja, bludgeoned to death with his own cricket bat in the living room. The police said she was struck at least thrice with the bat. Karan Choudhury reports.

The sight of watching his mother lying dead in a pool of blood is still fresh in Kamal Aneja’s (21) mind. Traumatised, the third year IP University student has hardly spoken in the last 24 hours.

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He found his mother, 50-year-old Rita Aneja, bludgeoned to death with his own cricket bat in the living room. The police said she was struck at least thrice with the bat.

The incident happened in South Anarkali in Jagatpuri area in East Delhi on Monday evening. Strangely, the living room is right next to the road but no one claims to have heard anything.

The police were informed about the incident around 7.45 p.m. The family has not been able to assess the amount of cash and jewellery that was robbed, but the police said a gold chain and a pair of earrings which the deceased was wearing were missing.

Aneja's husband Gulshan Kumar Aneja owns a transport firm.

Sanjay Chabra, the family's business partner, said, "Around 4.00 pm the domestic help made tea for Rita and herself. They both had tea and then the help left the house. We believe it was after that the attackers came to the house."

The police are not ruling out the involvement of an insider or a relative.

"We are trying to establish the whereabouts of the family members. Right now everyone is under our radar," said a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity, as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Gulshan's elder brother Banwari Lal said, "The family has no enemies. I do not know who would have done such a ghastly act." Aneja's daughter Kajal works in a call centre.