A 42-year-old man bludgeoned his wife and minor daughter to death on Saturday night in South-West Delhi’s Indira Park area. The accused, identified as Jaswinder, was later apprehended by police.
Jaswinder wanted to divorce his wife but was reluctant to give her any share in his property. He also suspected his wife of having an illicit relationship. He hatched a conspiracy to eliminate her. He killed her on Sunday by repeatedly hitting her with an iron rod. Police have recovered the murder weapon. According to police, the incident took place on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday around 1.30 am. Jaswinder along with his wife Sarita (35) and daughter Shalini (10) lived in Indira Park area.
On the day of the incident, Jaswinder’s niece Prachi (13) was also present in the house. Around 9 pm, the family had dinner and went to bed. Jaswinder and his wife usually slept in separate rooms since they had a prolonged marital discord. That night, Jaswinder needed an alibi and had his niece sleep in his room. He surreptitiously entered the room where his wife and daughter were sleeping under the cover of darkness.
“He gagged them, repeatedly struck them on their heads with an iron rod till their lives were snuffed out. He later fled from the spot in the early hours but was later arrested,” said a police official. A PCR call was made around 8.30 am by the neighbours. Prachi was the first one to spot the bodies and alerted the neighbours who called up police.
Sarita and Jaswinder were married for the past 10 years. The neighbours and locals revealed that the couple never had a blissful conjugal life and were always bickering. “They had been estranged for a long time but Sarita refused to divorce him since she was demanding her share in the property. Jaswinder neither wished to pay her alimony nor part with his property,” said one of the neighbours. Jaswinder had on several occasions beaten his wife up and subjected her to electric shocks as well. A case of murder has been registered at Sagarpur police station.