JOIN USWoman, mother found dead in Laxmi Nagar
An elderly woman and her daughter were found dead with their throats slit and multiple stab wounds at the their home in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar on Monday.
Police suspect it to be an attack over personal enmity but have not ruled out robbery as a motive as the house was ransacked.
Rampati, 90, who hailed from Rajasthan, lived with her 42-year-old daughter Rajni Devi at Sri Durge Apartments in Laxmi Nagar block J. “The bodies have been shifted for a post-mortem at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital,” said Ajay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (east).
After an initial probe, police said the killer gained friendly entry into the house. “We have not found any evidence of forced entry or of any door or window being broken. The television and the air conditioner was also found switched on when the police team reached the spot,” a police officer said.
The house was found ransacked, but police said it could have been done to divert investigating teams. The incident came to light when Rampati’s domestic help Anita reported for duty around 9 am. She told police that she rang the doorbell, but there was no response. Anita then inquired about the family’s absence with Rampati’s neighbours, and one of whom, Mausami Banerjee, said Rampati and Rajni might be sleeping and told Anita to ring doorbell again.
“When the domestic help returned to the house for the second time, she found that the main door was not bolted from inside,” the officer added.
Anita went inside the house and was shocked to see Rampati and Rajni lying in a pool of blood near the main door. She informed police after which the mother-daughter duo was declared dead on the spot.
“There were multiple injury marks on the bodies. Rampati and Rajni were mercilessly stabbed and the attackers slit their throats before fleeing,” the officer said.
The bodies were taken to hospital after a crime and forensic team analysed the spot. A case of murder has also been filed with Shakarpur police station. On being questioned by police, Mausami said she had last seen Rampati and Rajni around 6.30 pm on Sunday.
She, however, did not notice any suspicious movement in the area or any scream for help. On Mausami’s statement, police suspect that they were killed between 6.30 pm on Sunday and 9 am on Monday.
According to Mausami, Rampati and Rajni rarely left home and were often visited by their family members. They had been living in the house for the last nine years. Police have also questioned the domestic help and other neighbours, but are yet to make any breakthrough.