Ex-principal found murdered at home in Gurugram

The deceased, a former headmistress of a private school in the city, had undertaken several senior teaching positions (vice-principal and principal) of private schools in the city and Pune, as well as in cities of Dubai and Singapore.

A 51-year-old woman was found dead in suspicious circumstances at her house on Saturday evening in Sector 23, the police said.

The woman’s son said that she had got in touch with him a few hours before she died. At 6.07pm, she had sent him a message on Instagram that read, “IPC contact them.” (HT Photo)

The woman’s brother-in-law, his wife and their daughter have been booked on charges of murder after the woman’s husband filed a complaint with the police, alleging that she was murdered. There has been no arrest so far in the incident.

The deceased, a former headmistress of a private school in the city, had undertaken several senior teaching positions (vice-principal and principal) of private schools in the city and Pune, as well as in cities of Dubai and Singapore.

Before she was allegedly murdered, she was working on a project pertaining to school curriculum along with a senior person in the field, an acquaintance. According to the police, the incident was reported at 9.10pm and the woman was found lying on a sofa-cum-bed on the first floor of her house. Police said a property dispute could be the reason behind the alleged murder. The police are still awaiting the autopsy report.

The woman’s son said that she had got in touch with him a few hours before she died. At 6.07pm, she had sent him a message on Instagram that read, “IPC contact them.”

“Unfortunately, I was at work and saw the message later. I think it meant ‘immediately police call’. She logged onto Instagram after a month and within minutes of logging in, she sent that message,” he said.

“I had spoken to her around 5pm and everything was alright at that time. At 7.12pm, I called her on her phone. She was out of breath and mumbled disconnected words ‘bachao, balcony, light on, maar diya, bhag gya (save me, balcony, lights switched on, they ran away from the spot)’. The call got disconnected after 21 seconds. She did not answer subsequent phone calls,” he said.

He added that he suspects that someone broke into their house and escaped after allegedly killing his mother.

In the police complaint, the woman’s husband said that he was returning from the Sector 23 market when he received a call from his son at 7.13 pm, asking him to rush to the house. The FIR mentions the woman telling her son ‘bachao, bachao, maar diya, mene bailcony ki light chala di hai aur wo balcony se bhag gya. (save me, I have been injured, I switched on the balcony light and they fled).’

“I reached home around 7.30pm and found the door was locked from the inside. I kept knocking on the door till 7.55pm but there was no answer. Around 8.15pm, my son reached home. After struggling for at least half an hour, we managed to break into the house and saw that my wife was lying on the sofa-cum-bed. Her clothes were covered in dust, her hand had a blood clot and her forehead had two marks from a rod. At 8.50pm, we called the police and an ambulance,” the woman’s husband told the police.

The woman’s husband alleged that his brother, his sister-in-law and their daughter had killed his wife as they had a property dispute with them, which was sub judice in a lower court as well as the high court.

He further alleged that they had frequent discords with them. He alleged that his brother used to stalk his wife online and when she went to work.

Sumer Singh, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) west, said the police is verifying the contents of the complaint and looking into the details of the property dispute.

“A probe has been initiated and the cause of death would be known after the post-mortem examination report is out. The samples have been sent for forensic analysis. No arrest has been made,” said DCP Singh.

A police officer privy to the investigation, requesting anonymity, said that the woman did not have any external injury. “Her spectacles were found in the balcony and a chair was found toppled,” the officer said.

A case was registered against the three suspects under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Palam Vihar police station on Saturday night.