Senior citizen murdered: Cobblers turn killers

The two accused were arrested on Wednesday for murdering a 65-year-old widow in outer Delhi earlier this month

Senior citizen murdered: Cobblers turn killers

The two accused were arrested on Wednesday for murdering a 65-year-old widow in outer Delhi earlier this month

Being a senior citizen and living alone in the Capital is not just a hassle; it's a hazard. The outer Delhi police have arrested two cobblers in connection with the murder case of a 65-year-old widow who stayed alone in Prashant Vihar area.

'Under cover': Outer Delhi Police arrested two persons Brijesh and Manoj
Kumar on Wednesday in connection with the murder of a senior citizen inu00a0
Prashant Vihar. Pic/Imtiyaz Khan

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of outer Delhi Chhaya Sharma told reporters that on March 13 police received a PCR call at around 5pm that the body of a woman had been found inside a locked house in Razapur Village area of Rohini Sector 14. Police team reached the spot and the door was forcibly opened. "The decomposed corpse of a woman was found inside the room. The deceased was later identified as Daya Kaur," said the DCP.

The DCP added that Kaur's nephew Mahender Singh Sisodia contacted the police and told them that his aunt Daya had married twice but she did not have any children. She was first married to a person named Mahender Singh and post divorce she got married to Sawroop Singh. Both men have died.

Previously Kaur was living in Wazirpur area along with her father. Her father had purchased a piece land in her name in Razapur Village. After her father's death Kaur started living in a house constructed on that plot.u00a0
"Daya Singh told the police that on March 13 he got a call from neighbour of the deceased that the main gate of the house was open. He reached there and discovered the crime. According to him, he found blood flowing out of a locked room after which he called the police," said Sharma.u00a0 An FIR of murder was filed at Prashant Vihar police station and a team was formed to probe the case.

Police said that silver ornaments, a cellphone and some valuables were found missing from the house.
"Call detail records of the cellphone were obtained by the police and it was found that the phone was being used by two persons - Brijesh and Manoj Kumar - who were living in Rajapur area. During investigation police came to know that the duo left for their hometown in UP on the day the incident occurred. Police conducted raids but the accused managed to escape," Chhaya Sharma said.

The DCP added that the duo had come back to Rohini and filed a form with the MCD to get a tehbazari (street vending) shop for their cobbler business. Following a tip-off the duo was arrested.u00a0They told the police that first they conducted recce in the area and decided to commit robbery at the victim's house as she was a soft target.

"They barged inside her house through the roof but hearing the commotion the deceased woke up. The accused overpowered her and strangulated her to death. They tied her hands and legs too before fleeing from the crime scene. They locked the room door from the outside," police said. The loot has been recovered from the accused.

Hypnotic effect
Two members of a Maharashtra-based gang were arrested by the special staff of the south district police earlier this month from the Madangir area of south Delhiu00a0 for allegedly hypnotizing senior citizens, especially women, and conning them into submitting their valuables. The gang members - Indians with Iranian-origin -came from Mumbaiu00a0 and stayed at guesthouses in Nizamuddin and Paharganj. They donned uniforms of Delhi Police and hoodwinked unsuspecting people into handing over their valuables.