Woman beats motherinlaw to death
DEADLY DISPUTE After bludgeoning her to death with a stool, Kanchan tried to set the body ablaze using mustard oil
Hearing the crying on the upper floor, Swarna began abusing her daughterinlaw. A quarrel between them ensued during which Kanchan hit her motherinlaw on her head using a small wooden stool.
OMVIR SINGH, DCP (east)
NEWDELHI: A 29-year-old woman allegedly beat her differently abled mother-in-law to death using a small wooden stool at their house in east Delhi’s Mandawali late on Tuesday night, police said.
The accused also allegedly tried to set the 62-year-old victim’s body ablaze after dousing it in mustard oil, apparently because she could not find any other fuel in the house.
When arrested, the accused, Kanchan, reportedly told police that she killed her mother-inlaw as the latter was “abusing” her for not being able to silence her crying child.
The victim, Swarna Kapoor, reportedly had difficulty walking due to problems in her leg. Police said she largely restricted herself to the ground floor of their house in Shanti Marg in Mandawali.
Swarna’s son, Sumit, who worked at a fast food restaurant chain, was the sole income provider in the household with a monthly salary of ₹18,000.
Other than Swarna, the family included Sumit, his wife Kanchan, and their three children, all of whom are under five years of age.
According to Omvir Singh, deputy commissioner of police (east), Swarna and Kanchan frequently clashed over domestic issues.
Kanchan had allegedly planned to kill her mother-inlaw earlier as well, but was unable find an opportunity to execute the plan, the DCP added.
Tuesday’s night’s dispute had allegedly been triggered by the wails of Kanchan’s child when Sumit was away at work.
“Hearing the crying on the A 29-year-old woman beat her differently abled mother-inlaw to death using a small wooden stool
She then tried to set the victim’s body ablaze after dousing it in mustard oil
She thought the blaze would make it appear that an outsider killed the woman
The oil only managed to burn the victim’s legs
She killed her mother-in-law for ‘abusing’ her for not being able to silence her crying child, police said
upper floor, Swarna began abusing her daughter-in-law. A quarrel between them ensued during which Kanchan hit her mother-in-law on her head using a small wooden stool,” said the DCP.
As the victim collapsed outside her kitchen, Kanchan allegedly decided to set her motherin-law ablaze. Police said the two frequently clashed over domestic issues The accused had planned to kill her earlier as well, police said
Kanchan had assumed that the fire would lead the police to think an outsider or a criminal committed the murder, police said.
Investigators said that as the accused could not find kerosene or petrol in the house, she decided to use mustard oil to burn her mother-in-law.
Investigators added that it will only be known after the autopsy report whether Swarna was still breathing at the time she was set ablaze.
According to an investigator, Kanchan allegedly emptied an entire bottle of mustard oil on Swarna’s body before lighting it on fire.
But the oil only managed to burn the victim’s legs and some items in the room, the investigator added.
Police said that Kanchan then panicked and rushed to her room upstairs.
She then allegedly changed her clothes and waited for the murder to come to light.
When her husband Sumit returned home from work later in the night, he found his mother’s partially burnt body and alerted the police.
The investigators said they found the crime scene suspicious due to the strong odour of mustard oil. Suspecting the role of an insider, police began questioning Kanchan.
Investigators said she initially tried to mislead them, but several inconsistencies in her statement eventually gave her away.
After questioning, she finally confessed to having killed her mother-in-law, police said.
Police said they have recovered one of Kanchan’s gown soaked with blood and mustard oil, the small stool that was used to kill Swarna, and an empty jar of mustard oil.
Kanchan, who is a homemaker and native of Ghaziabad, has been arrested and booked for the murder.