Elderly couple found dead

An elderly couple was found dead inside their residence in East Delhi’s Shahdara in the early hours of Saturday. The incident prompted police to launch a murder investigation amid suspicions of foul play and a possible robbery attempt.

The bodies of Virendra Kumar Bansal (75), a retired teacher, and his wife, Parvesh Bansal (65), were discovered on the third floor of their house. Their son had alerted the police shortly after midnight. The couple were found lying unconscious in separate rooms, police said. According to officials, a PCR call was received around 12.30 am from the couple’s son. He told the control room that his parents were not responding and appeared to be dead. A police team rushed to the spot and found both victims lifeless.

Preliminary examination raised serious concerns. Police noticed visible injuries on Virendra Bansal’s face, strengthening suspicion that the deaths may not have been natural. “Injuries on the body, especially on the face of the male victim, indicate possible violence,” a senior police officer said.

A crime team and forensic science laboratory (FSL) experts were immediately called to the scene. The entire third floor of the house was cordoned off. Investigators carried out a detailed inspection. The rooms where the bodies were found were photographed. Physical evidence was collected to help reconstruct the sequence of events.

Police said the exact cause of death would be known only after post-mortem examinations, which have been scheduled. The bodies were later shifted to a government mortuary for autopsy. Investigators are probing the case from multiple angles, including murder and robbery.

Officials said the possibility of theft cannot be ruled out at this stage, although it remains unclear whether any valuables were missing from the house. The layout of the residence and access points are being closely examined. “The circumstances are suspicious. We are investigating whether the couple was attacked by someone known to them or by outsiders,” the officer said, adding that no conclusion has been drawn yet.

Police teams have begun questioning family members, including the son who made the emergency call, as well as neighbours and domestic help, to piece together the couple’s recent movements and interactions. Officers are also trying to establish when the couple was last seen alive.

CCTV footage from the surrounding area is being scanned to track any unusual movement near the house before or after the suspected time of death. Call detail records of the victims and their close contacts are also being analysed to identify any potential leads.

Local residents told police that the Bansals were a quiet couple and had lived in the area for several years. Virendra Bansal had retired from teaching some years ago, and the couple largely kept to themselves, neighbours said.

Police said they are also examining whether the house showed signs of forced entry or struggle. Forensic teams are checking for fingerprints, footprints, and other trace evidence that could point to the involvement of an outsider.

Senior officers visited the spot to supervise the investigation. A case is likely to be registered once preliminary findings are assessed and the post-mortem reports are received, police said.