Delhi triple murder case: Accused searched online about murder methods before crime, say sources

New Delhi: Twenty-year-old Arjun Tanwar, arrested for killing his parents and sister at their south Delhi residence, had searched online about methods of murder before committing the crime, police sources said on Thursday.

Delhi Police has recovered blood-stained clothes and an army knife allegedly used in the crime, and also seized Tanwar's mobile phones, laptop and other electronic gadgets, they said.

The sources said that police are also contemplating to conduct a psycho-analysis test on Tanwar to determine his mental well-being.

Ex-armyman Rajesh Kumar (51), his wife Komal (46) and their daughter Kavita (23) were found murdered at their house in Deoli village on Wednesday morning.

According to police, Tanwar did not have good relations with his parents and was upset that they liked his sister more than him.

On Thursday, he was produced before a city court from where he was sent to a three-day police custody. The police said in the court that they have to interrogate him thoroughly and confront him with some people and other evidence.

"During investigation, it was found that the accused had searched for kind of murder techniques on internet before committing the crime," a police source said.

Police have seized his mobile phones, laptop and other electronic gadgets, which will also help ascertain if he watched crime web series to get an idea to commit the crime.

"We are contemplating to conduct his psycho-analysis test. This will help establish his state of mind behind the crime," the source said.

Police recovered his blood-stained sweatshirt and the army knife from nearby Sanjay Van late Wednesday night.

During interrogation, Tanwar told the police that he first killed his sister by slitting her throat while she was asleep.

Then he went upstairs where he stabbed his father in his neck and slit his mother's throat, who was in the washroom, police said.

Tanwar then changed his blood-stained clothes, put them in his gym bag and went to Sanjay Van where he dumped them along with the knife, they added.

After coming back home, he tried to clean blood spots in the washroom and other articles in the house, an official said.

Tanwar then provided a false alibi to police, claiming he was at the gym when the family members were murdered, he said.

The accused was pursuing a degree in political science at a Delhi University college and was a trained boxer. He represented Delhi in a state boxing event, where he won the silver medal.

He had previously studied at the Army Public School in Dhaula Kuan.

Last year, psycho-analysis tests were done on the main accused in the murder of Swiss woman Nina Berger in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar area.

Similar tests were done on the accused in the murder of a 16-year-old girl in northwest Delhi’s Shahbad Dairy area and on the accused in the parliament breach case.

In 2022, the police also conducted a psycho-analysis test on Shradha Walker's murder accused Aftab Poonawala.