FOUR HELD FOR KILLING TWO ELDERLY SISTERS

Delhi Police on Friday nabbed a plumber and three masons and claimed to have solved the murder of two elderly women in Paschim Vihar.

Police said the women, sisters who were both in their 70s, were killed by the men because they wanted to rob their house. “The victims, Usha Pathak and Asha Pathak, had been killed on Wednesday evening and their bodies lay undetected for 22 hours before their domestic help found them dead around 3pm on Thursday, said Seju P Kuruvilla, deputy commissioner of police (outer). The DCP said the domestic help’s statement, CCTV footage and call records helped to crack the case.

Kuruvilla added that the police were on the lookout for two more suspects. He said the two women hadn’t got themselves enrolled with the Delhi Police’s senior citizens cell. The officer also acknowledged that the local police too hadn’t got in touch with the women, who were soft targets as they lived alone. The two women had retired from government jobs and lived alone in a flat on the third floor of Anandvan Society in Paschim Vihar.

On Tuesday, the victims needed a plumber and got in touch with 46-year-old Akhilesh through a personal contact. Akhilesh wasn’t a regular in the neighbourhood. “When Akhilesh visited the flat, he realised that the women lived alone and were vulnerable. He then deliberately postponed the plumbing work to next day,” said the DCP.

Later, Akhilesh contacted five of his friends who worked as masons or did odd jobs. The other accused were identified as Deepak alias Soni, Salman Shah and Raju Yadav. On Wednesday, Akhilesh revisited the house and carried out the plumbing repairs till 4pm. “He also told the sisters that he knew an electrician who could fix certain electrical issues in the flat,” said the DCP.

But Akhilesh was seen by the domestic help of the women, Rani, who arrived to work when Akhilesh was working. It was Rani who later went to tell the police that she suspected the plumber’s role.