The Hindu : Woman beaten to death

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 05, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Woman beaten to death

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 4. A 50-year-old woman was allegedly badgered to death by two workers who escaped with a huge amount of cash and jewellery from her house at Nizamuddin in South Delhi on Tuesday. The suspects had apparently planned the robbery in detail.

According to the police, a call was received from Shahi Hospital in Nizamuddin around 10 p.m., about a woman, with serious head injuries, being declared dead on arrival. The woman was identified as Vijaya Gupta, wife of Gaurishankar Gupta, a resident of A-Block Jangpura Extension, Nizamuddin.

Mr. Gupta told the police that he had gone to his sanitaryware shop at Bhogal after having lunch around 2-30 p.m. on Tuesday. Vijaya was at home along with two workers, Shyam Kumar Sahu (26) and Dileep (18), both from Nepal. They were supposed to assist Vijaya in cleaning the house.

After some time, when Mr. Gupta called up his home he was told by the two workers that Vijaya had gone to the market. When he called up again and there was no response, he got suspicious. However, he decided to check things out only at the end of the day. Later, it came to light that Shyam and Dileep had turned away the maid also telling her that Ms. Gupta had gone to the market. They then disconnected the telephone.

Mr. Gupta reached home around 9 p.m. and found it locked from outside. He picked up a hammer and broke open the door. He went upstairs where he found his wife lying unconscious in a pool of blood. He rushed her to Shahi Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.

According to the police, Ms. Gupta's skull was smashed by the suspects with a sewing machine. There was no ransacking of the house suggesting that the suspects, who escaped with Rs. 1 lakh in cash and Rs. 2 lakhs worth of jewellery, had an idea where the cash and jewellery were kept. It is possible that they managed to get the keys to the almirah, kept in the "Puja Ghar", from Ms. Gupta and then killed her.

Investigations also revealed that the suspects knew about the presence of cash and jewellery in the house. Last Tuesday, the family had thrown a party to celebrate the birth of twin grandsons. Several relatives had attended the party and a lot of cash and jewellery were received as gifts.

Meanwhile, the police said that though Mr. Gupta had not got his servants verified, their landlord had ascertained their antecedents under the tenant verification scheme. They lived in a one-room accommodation at Sarai Kale Khan in Nizamuddin.

Shyam had been working in Mr. Gupta's shop for the past five years, while Dileep was employed for the past one year. The police have mounted a vigil at their house and a couple of persons known to the suspects have been picked up for questioning. Nizamuddin police have registered a case of murder and robbery and are investigating further.

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