Trilokpuri, Delhi case: Neighbours smelled a rat, never suspected murder

For months, Anjan Das’s neighbours in East Delhi’s Trilokpuri knew that something was not right, but could never imagine a crime of this magnitude.

Delhi Police on Monday arrested 48-year-old Poonam and her 25-year-old son Deepak for allegedly killing her live-in partner Anjan Das in their Trilokpuri flat on May 30 this year. Das had another wife and eight children in Bhagalpur, Bihar.

According to the police, Poonam and her son, Deepak, allegedly planned to murder Anjan after getting frustrated with his drinking habit and sexual misconduct with relatives.

“Worst fears confirmed”

“Our worst fears have now been confirmed,” neighbour Jayanti told The Federal. “The family didn’t talk much and largely kept to themselves. They moved in five or six years ago. Although we suspected something amiss, Poonam’s behaviour never allowed us to find out more. She was always calm and composed,” confirmed the middle-aged woman.

On May 30, Poonam and Deepak allegedly spiked Anjan’s drink with sedatives and stabbed him with a dagger in the neck, chest, and abdomen.

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In Trilokpuri, Purva, who lives with her daughter Kajori, said, “We suspected something amiss when we didn’t see Anjan for months. But we chose to ignore it, as we thought he might be away for work. But, it seemed a little strange, as he never left the house for such an extended period.”

“Accused claim sexual misconduct”

Speaking to The Federal, a policeman at Pandav Nagar police station said, “We registered a case under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing destruction of evidence and giving false information). Now, the case is being handled by the crime branch.”

Holding up the register in which the FIR was lodged, the policeman recounted how the police station was immediately alerted when unknown body parts were discovered by cops on routine duty.

During investigation, the accused, Poonam, allegedly revealed that she got married when she was 13 or 14 years old. Her first husband left her and went to Delhi. She came to the national capital looking for him, but then moved in with a man named Kallu.

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The couple had three children, including Deepak. Kallu later died of liver ailment. Following Kallu’s death, she married Das in 2017. However, Das never told her that he was already married and had eight kids from his first marriage.

Deepak and Poonam complained that Das had ill intentions towards Deepak’s wife and had touched her inappropriately on multiple occasions. Poonam also claimed that he was harassing her daughter, who recently got divorced.