Gurugram police yet to identify who murdered woman in DLF Phase 1

The police said Indra Khanna was one of the area’s oldest residents; she had moved in 22 years ago and lived alone.

A day after a 72-year-old woman was allegedly smothered to death at her house in DLF Phase 1, the police said they were yet to make any headway in the investigation.

A day after a 72-year-old woman was allegedly smothered to death at her house in DLF Phase 1, the police said they were yet to make any headway in the investigation. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

The police said Indra Khanna was one of the area’s oldest residents; she had moved in 22 years ago and lived alone. She was found unconscious in her kitchen on the ground floor of her house on Friday afternoon, the police said. Her body was first discovered by her sister Devika Narula, after her repeated calls went unanswered. Devika lives with her family in Sushant Lok

More than 50 people, including domestic help and security guards, were questioned on Friday and Saturday. Two domestic helpers, who worked in her house, and six construction labourers, employed by the deceased to renovate her house, were questioned by investigators for over six hours on Friday. But there was little progress in the investigation, the police said.

A board of doctors conducted the autopsy and the body was handed over to the family members on Saturday. However, the cremation will be held on Monday, her family members said, as they were waiting for a relative from abroad.

Karan Goel, assistant commissioner of police (DLF), said that they collected forensic evidence from the victim’s house and at least five teams have been pressed into action. “We are questioning all the people who had visited the house on Friday and the two MNC executives who rented the first floor of the house, and had left for office before the incident took place,” he said. Each of the five teams has been given a specific task, including the one from the Cyber Crime police station, the police said.

Gurugram Civil Hospital forensic expert Dr Deepak Mathur, who was part of the team that conducted the autopsy, said the woman had strangulation marks on her throat and minor injuries on her shoulder, face, neck, and lips. “It seemed she struggled for a few minutes before she died. There were injury marks on her lips. She must have tried to raise an alarm following which the perpetrator pressed her mouth. She died of violent asphyxia as a result of smothering,” he said.

The police said the preliminary probe did not find any signs of forced entry into the house. No CCTV camera had been installed in the lane. No other items in the house were touched, which suggested the perpetrator just took her earrings, rings, gold chain and bracelet she was wearing and fled the spot.