Woman, daughter found murdered

Missing brother-in-law's hand suspected

A 22-year-old woman and her 28-day-old daughter were found strangled at their home in north-east Delhi’s Nand Nagri during the wee hours of Tuesday.

While the woman’s father-in-law has accused one of his sons for the murders, police are not ruling out his own hand either.

The victim’s husband Dildar Ali has been lodged at Tihar Jail for the last two-and-a-half months in connection with a robbery. The suspected brother-in-law Kismat is absconding after the double murders. 

Police have picked up the woman’s father-in-law Arshad Ali and three other family members for questioning. 

The victims have been identified as Nagma and her daughter Sofia.

The crime was revealed at about 4:30 am on Tuesday after the father-in-law Arshad Ali raised an alarm. “Neighbours heard the call for help and found Arshad in a room with his hands and legs tied. He told them that Kismat has killed his granddaughter and daughter-in-law in another room,” said a police officer.

The neighbours entered the other room and found the mother-daughter lying dead on the bed with strangulation marks around their neck. Nagma was allegedly bleeding from her mouth.

Arshad’s seven-year-old son Nihal Ali was found sleeping on another bed in the same room when the neighbours entered.

Police were informed by a neighbour soon after. The victims were rushed to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. 

A case of murder has been registered at the Nang Nagri police station. Since Nagma’s marriage to Dildar was less than a year old, the matter will be investigated by a sub-divisional magistrate. 

Nagma’s parents, who live in Bihar, have been informed and they are on their way to Delhi.

“Arshad has told us that he was sleeping when Kismat entered his room, tied him up and then killed the mother-daughter duo. But we are doubtful about his claims and investigating the matter further,” said the officer.

He said that some neighbours have revealed that Nagma’s father-in-law had evil intentions towards her ever since her husband was sent to jail. 

Kismat, meanwhile, was revealed to be a drug addict involved in petty crimes and his disappearance after the murders has complicated the case.

Nagma lived with her daughter, parents-in-law and three brothers-in-law in their five-storey building in Nand Nagri after her husband's arrest. 

Nagma’s another brother-in-law was in Meerut and mother-in-law Bilkish at her daughter’s home in Jafrabad when the murders took place.