Delhi triple murder: Son held for ‘stabbing parents, sister in their sleep’
According to the police, the killings were carried out by the couple's son, Arjun, who had claimed to have been on a morning walk at the time
The Delhi police have cracked the case of the ghastly murder of a couple and their 23-year-old daughter in South Delhi's Neb Sarai in a few hours.
According to the police, the killings were carried out by the couple's son, Arjun, who had claimed to have been on a morning walk at the time.
A middle-aged couple and their daughter were stabbed to death on their 27th marriage anniversary on Wednesday (December 4) in south Delhi’s Neb Sarai.
Also read: Delhi horror: Three family members stabbed to death in Neb Sarai
Humiliation and sibling rivalry
The son had not only alerted the police about the murders but also allegedly called up his uncle and informed him.
Officials said he had stabbed his family to death in their sleep because he had been "humiliated" by his father and had found out that his parents intended to leave their property to his sister.
The police said he had been planning the murders for a while and had decided to carry them out on his parents' wedding anniversary. He has now been arrested.
The bodies of Rajesh Kumar (51), who had retired from the Army, his wife Komal (46), and their daughter Kavita (23) were recovered from their house in Deoli village early this morning, they said.
The couple's son Arjun claimed that he found the family members dead at around 6.30 am when he returned home from his morning walk. He alerted the neighbours and informed the police, an official said.
Suspicion on son
However, there were discrepancies in Arjun's alibi and he was detained for questioning, Joint Commissioner Police (Southern Range) SK Jain said.
"We took him into our custody and interrogated him during which he revealed that he committed the crime as he was not having good relations with his parents. He was upset as his parents used to like his sister more than him," Jain claimed.
The police also checked footage from CCTV cameras, which convinced them that no one from outside the family had entered the house, Jain said. There were also no signs of forced entry into the house and nothing was stolen or ransacked.
Jain said that, on further investigation, Arjun's version seemed suspicious as there were many contradictions in his statements. He said Arjun was taken into custody and confessed to the murders after "sustained examination".
Also read: Delhi constable stabbed while on night patrol; accused shot dead in encounter
The revenge plan
Arjun did his schooling at Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, and is a second-year Bachelor of Arts student at Delhi University.
He is also a trained boxer and represented Delhi in a boxing event, where he won a silver medal. He got to know that his father was about to give the property to his sister, which angered him a lot, the officer said.
"Sibling rivalry was a reason as his parents gave more importance to his sister. He also got to know that his father was about to give the property to his sister, which angered him a lot.
"In a fit of rage, he conspired to kill the trio and deliberately chose this day (December 4), as it was his when his parents anniversary," Jain told reporters.
Arjun told the police he did not have good relations with his father and other family members. "He is a boxing player but was not good in studies unlike his sister and felt he was given step-motherly treatment from his family," the officer said.
Jain said Arjun would complain that his family members never supported him. He also said that his parents used to beat him. A few days ago, he was scolded in front of some outsiders and he felt humiliated.
The officer said to kill his parents and sister, he used his father's knife (khukri), which is used in the army. The couple and their daughter were stabbed in their throat.
He locked the house from outside and opened it after he came back and went inside, he added.
The police said that they have collected evidence against Arjun which proves that the murder was committed by him all alone.
There are several marks on his hands which appear to have been inflicted during the act, they claimed.
Prima facie, there was no ransacking or theft from the house, and based on the crime scene, it appeared the entire act was committed within an hour, they added.
Murder case registered
Speaking about the incident, Satish Kumar, Arjun’s maternal uncle, said, "Rajesh was my brother-in-law. I received a call from my nephew (Arjun) about the incident. Rajesh had retired from the army and was currently working as a security officer. His daughter was a college student and a black belt in martial arts."
Kumar suggested that a financial dispute might have been the motive for the attack.
A case of murder was registered, Singh said, adding that the police have collected CCTV footage from around the area and recorded statements from family members and neighbours.
According to a neighbour, Rajesh, a native of Haryana, owned the two-storey house in which the family had been living for the past 15 years.
It was Rajesh and Komal's 27th wedding anniversary, their relatives said.
Horrific incident
The family, originally from Haryana, had moved to Delhi 15 years ago to be able to give better academic and career opportunities for the children.
"It's a horrific incident. Yesterday, I saw the mother and daughter on their terrace, talking and laughing. Today, they're no longer alive. Crime has become so common, but experiencing it first-hand has completely shaken me," Himani, a neighbour, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"The mother-daughter duo were approachable and kind to everyone in the colony. It's unimaginable that something so tragic could happen to them," another neighbour, Anjali, said.
AAP legislator visits house
Earlier, AAP legislator from Deoli, Prakash Jarwal, visited the victim’s house and spoke with Rajesh's son. “This is a very unfortunate incident. His son asked me, ‘Who will I live for now?’” Jarwal said.
“Someone entered the house and stabbed the victims in their necks,” Jarwal said and alleged that such killings had become a daily occurrence in Delhi.
(With inputs from agencies)