Woman beats ailing mother-in-law to death with frying pan in Delhi

Apparently tired of taking care of her 86-year-old ailing mother-in-law, a middle-aged woman allegedly beat her to death in the Indian capital with a frying pan, police said.

The gory incident took place in Swastik Residency in Neb Sarai area where Surjit Som (51), his wife Sarmishta (48) and their 16-year-old daughter lived with the elderly woman who suffered from arthritis.

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On April 28, the police were alerted that Hasi Som had fallen in her flat and was bleeding.

A police officer said the family hails from Kolkata. The victim lived alone in that city till March 2022 when her son brought her to Delhi. He rented a flat for her in front of his own.

Hasi Som was found sprawled on the kitchen floor with multiple injuries on her face and skull. Her son said his mother was suffering from arthritis for a long time and had problems walking.

CCTV mystery

A CCTV camera in the bedroom had no storage device in it. Still, the police took it away.

Surjit claimed the camera was not working due to a power cut on the day of the incident.

At the AIIMS, doctors declared after autopsy that her injuries could not have been caused by a normal fall and suggested a detailed inquiry, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chandan Chowdhary said.

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Surjit’s daughter said her mother and grandmother did not have a cordial relationship. Surjit confirmed this.

Later, Surjit confessed that before calling the police he had taken out the memory card of the CCTV camera placed in the bedroom of the deceased.

The CCTV footage revealed that on April 28, Sarmishta entered Hasi Som’s flat with a frying pan. She crept behind the deceased in the kitchen and dealt her several blows.

The elderly woman’s cries could be heard on the CCTV recording, Chowdhary said.

Surjit kept the memory card with him and saw the footage after the last rites of his mother.

The crime

In the CCTV footage, he saw his wife entering his mother’s flat and leaving after some time. He shared his apprehension with the police, the officer said.

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The post-mortem report received on Monday revealed 14 injuries all over the body.

Based on various evidence, Sarmishta was arrested for murder.

(With agency inputs)