Woman and her brother-in-law axed to death

A 42-year-old widow and her distant relative were found brutally murdered at a rented accommodation in west Delhi’s Vikas Nagar near Ranhola on Saturday morning.

According to the police, the deceased duo were repeatedly attacked on their head with a heavy sharp-edged weapon, probably an axe. Their faces were also smashed with a blunt object.

The body of the woman, identified as Sunita, was found on a bed of her room. Her distant brother-in-law, Rajesh Kumar, was lying in a pool of blood on the terrace of the building. The police suspects role of someone known to the family behind the double murder as there was a sign of friendly entry in the house.

A case of murder has been registered at the Ranhola police station. “The murders could also be fallout of a sudden provocation or were committed in a fit of rage,” said a senior investigating officer.

The deceased’s younger daughter Jyoti was living with her mother for the past few weeks. Jyoti was married to a taxi driver in Haryana around one-and-a-half years ago. However, she returned to her mother following a marital discord. She was not present at home at the crime.

“The double murder came to fore around 7.15 am when one of the tenants of the house went to the terrace and found Rajesh lying dead,” joint commissioner of police (southwestern) Deependra Pathak said.

The tenant, Sachdeva, raised an alarm and informed neighbours about the murder besides calling the police control room and alerting them about the incident. By the time the police arrived, neighbours discovered Sunita’s body in her room.

“Sunita had introduced Rajesh to us as her brother-in-law, a Haryana police staff. She had recently told neighbours that Rajesh worked with the Delhi Jal Board. Rajesh often visited the family,” said Sachdeva. The police found Rajesh’s motorcycle parked outside the building. They learnt that he had come to meet Sunita Friday evening.

Sunita is survived by two daughters and 15-year-old son Sheru. Sheru lives with his elder sister Sonia, who is married in Haryana. Sunita’s husband passed away around 10 years ago.

“Our teams have certain clues about the suspects and are working on them. The case will be cracked soon. A police team has also been sent to Haryana for investigation,” Mr Pathak added.