Family friend held for killing elderly woman, daughter

A sewadar with Subhash Nagar gurdwara has been arrested for killing an elderly woman and her daughter after  robbery at their house in west Delhi’s Rajouri Garden. It was initially believed that Swaran Kaur and her daughter Balbir, 48, suffocated to death in a blaze at their two-storey house.

Police have now arrested family friend Darshan Singh, who hails from UP’s Meerut district and lives with family inside the gurdwara premises.

Swaran, 78 and Balbir were alone at their house at Mansarovar Garden’s J2 block when a call of fire was made to the police control room at 3.30 pm on November 6. Two fire tenders were rushed to the spot and doused the blaze within half an hour.

“On inspection of the premises, partly burnt bodies of the mother and daughter were found lying in a room on first floor of the house,” said V Renganathan, additional commissioner of police (west).

As the bodies were partly burnt, no mark of injuries were visible. However, investigation was taken up after a post-mortem was conducted at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and doctors opined the cause of death as asphyxia caused by smothering.

“We found it was quite possible that the victims may have been killed and thereafter burnt by pouring inflammable fuel,” Renganathan added.

After going through the post-mortem reports and circumstances, a case was lodged with Rajouri Garden police station. During investigation, it was learnt that two gold bangles of Swaran and some cash were missing from the house. A police team then questioned  neighbours and checked CCTV footage installed in the area.

The team zeroed down Darshan as the accused and detained him. Darshan disclosed that he has been serving as a sewadar with Subhash Nagar gurudwara where he was in contact with Swaran’s sons Devender and Dayal. “On the fateful day, Darshan went to the house and asked for Rs 2,000 as loan from Swaran. Swaran agreed to pay the money, but Darshan saw that more money was kept in an iron box,” Renganathan said.
Darshan asked for all the cash, but Swaran refused. On this, Darshan inflicted fist blows on Swaran and when she fell down, he smothered her. After sometime, he overpowered Balbir and killed her.

“After killing both the women, he poured mustard oil on their bodies and set them on fire. Then he fled with bangles and Rs 23,000 in cash,” Renganathan added.