Domestic help suspect in elderly couple’s murder in Indore

The police suspect that a missing domestic help might have murdered Shrichand Mittal (74) and his wife Shanti (68) in Apollo D B City in Indore on Sunday afternoon.

The police suspect that a missing domestic help might have murdered Shrichand Mittal (74) and his wife Shanti (68) in Apollo D B City in Indore on Sunday afternoon.

Police and kin of Shrichand and Shanti Mittal inside the flat where the elderly couple was murdered in Indore on Sunday. (Shankar Mourya/HT file photo)

A source in the police department said preliminary investigation suggests that the accused opened all the almirahs in the two rooms in search of cash but could not find any.

“The place where the cash and jewellery was kept is not apparent at first glance. We found it only after the couple’s daughter pointed it out to us,” a senior officer said. There were some silver utensils too, but they were not touched. The cash and jewellery has been handed over to the family members. Sources said the murder was an insider’s job as there was no sign of forced entry.

The couple’s domestic help came under suspicion after police found out that the name and addresses provided by him were fake.

“The man, by the name of Suresh Chauhan, had given two addresses in Nanda Nagar. However, when the police went checking, one of the addresses led to an under-construction house while the other was occupied by a journalist. None knew anyone by the name of Suresh Chauhan in both the places,” the officer added.

The duo could not shed light on the case but confirmed the presence of Suresh Chauhan in the house.

Now the entire investigation hinges on the call details from the two missing mobile phones of the Mittals.

The police believe that they will be able to trace Chauhan by tracking the cell phone numbers.

The Mittal couple was found lying in a pool of blood in their apartment on Sunday. Shrichand was asleep when he was stabbed on the chest and neck. Shanti was found with her throat slit.