Woman stabbed to death inside temple in east Delhi

A 48-year-old woman was stabbed to death inside a temple in east Delhi’s Mansarovar Park area on Sunday, triggering panic and prompting the police to form multiple teams to track down the killers.

The incident occurred around noon inside a temple located within the DDA Flats complex, when the victim was offering prayers.

According to the police, a PCR call was received at around 12 pm reporting the incident.

“The caller told the team that two boys stabbed a woman priest on the head,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said in a statement.

He further said that the victim, identified as Kusum Sharma, a resident of Mansarovar Park, sustained multiple stab injuries to the head and upper body. She was rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.

The officer said that preliminary investigation suggests that an unidentified man, accompanied by a person believed to be his associate, repeatedly attacked Sharma with a knife, causing fatal injuries. “Prima facie, it appears old enmity, but further investigation into the matter is underway. Multiple times have been formed to investigate the case,” said the DCP.

Police said several teams from the district and crime units have been formed to identify and apprehend the accused at the earliest. Officers are scanning CCTV footage from the DDA Flats, nearby streets, parks and entry-exit points to trace the movement of the attacker before and after the crime.

“We are examining CCTV footage from multiple locations in and around the area. Technical surveillance and local intelligence are being used to establish the identity of the assailant,” the officer said, adding that forensic teams have inspected the spot.

While the exact motive behind the murder is yet to be established, police said initial inquiry points towards a possible case of personal enmity or a targeted attack. “All angles are being thoroughly investigated, including personal disputes. At this stage, nothing is being ruled out,” the officer said.

The police have also questioned family members, neighbours and local residents to piece together the sequence of events.

A case of murder has been registered at the Mansarovar Park police station, and further legal proceedings are underway.