Woman, daughter murdered in southeast Delhi, bodies stuffed in bed box; neighbour absconding

A 35-year-old woman and her six-year-old daughter were found murdered inside their residence in  Sarita Vihar area of Southeast Delhi, with police identifying a neighbour as the prime suspect and launching raids to nab him, an official said on Saturday.

A PCR call was received around 10.30 pm on Friday regarding discovery of two bodies at a house in Aali Vihar, he said.

Police rushed to the spot and found the bodies of a middle-aged woman and a young girl concealed inside the box storage of a bed at the residence. The victims were rushed to AIIMS Hospital, where doctors declared them dead, the official said.

Multiple operational teams have been deployed to probe the case. Crime and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams have examined the scene and collected evidence, he added.

The deceased were identified as Jyoti (35), and her six-year-old daughter.

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While initial medical examination did not reveal external injuries, a post-mortem conducted on Saturday indicated strangulation and smothering as cause of death. The final post-mortem report is awaited, police said.

Following preliminary investigation and local enquiry, Deen Dayal (35), an accountant residing in the same building, has been identified as the prime suspect in the case, officials said.

Police said a case is being registered under Section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Ajay Kumar Giri, a local and the victim’s neighbour, said a husband and wife lived in the house with their three children. Two of the children had gone to school and were safe.

The neighbour the absconding accused is said to be a nephew to the family.

He said the husband came home at night and saw two of his children sitting outside.

“The gate was closed for a long time and the children were sitting outside. When he (husband) realised something was wrong, he broke open the gate and went inside,” Giri said.

He further said when they entered the house, household items were scattered everywhere, but nothing is said to be missing.

A thorough search of the house revealed the bodies hidden inside the bed, the neighbour said, adding that the police arrived around 10-11 pm.

Another neighbour, Mukesh Kamat, said the victim’s husband returned around 9-9:30 pm and found the door closed from inside. “He knocked many times but there was no response.”

Some of their relatives had also arrived at the door as the woman had been unreachable for the entire day and the children were worried, Kamat said, adding that everything was scattered inside the house.

“Under the bed, the bodies of the mother and the youngest daughter were found,” he said, adding that police were informed after the discovery of the bodies.

“The body in the bed was that of the mother and the youngest daughter. The girl was around six years old and the mother was about 35. The nephew is unmarried,” he added.

Dedicated police teams are conducting raids at multiple locations to trace and arrest the accused, officials said, adding that further investigation is underway.