Fashion designer, guard killed at posh Vasant Kunj mansion
When interrogated separately, all three accused claimed they proposed surrendering
NEW DELHI: One of the national Capital’s most posh residential areas, Vasant Kunj Enclave, witnessed the double murder of a fashion designer and her security guard at her mansion late on Wednesday night. The police said that fashion designer Mala Lakhani was dwelling along with Bahadur, her guard. Both were stabbed to death by three domestic associates, who later surrendered at Vasant Kunj (South) police station. After initial investigations, the police suspect the motive to be robbery but are also probing the case from other angles. One of the killers alleged that he had a dispute with the woman over unpaid dues.
Investigators told Millennium Post that it was around 2:45 am that three persons reached Vasant Kunj (South) police station and told the duty officer that “we have committed two murders at house number A-82”. “Two of the accused had injuries in the hand when they reached the police station and had changed their clothes after the murders,” said the investigator. The duty officer informed senior officers who rushed to spot, where both the bodies were lying in a pool of blood.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West) Devender Arya said that one of the bodies was identified as that of Mala Lakhani (53) and the other of her guard Bahadur (50). It was revealed that Lakhani used to run a boutique named Tulsi Creations at Green Park. The accused were later identified as Rahul Anwar, who worked as a tailor for the deceased, and his accomplices Rahmat and Wasim. “The bodies had around five to six stab marks,” informed an investigator.
Asked why the ‘killers’ had surrendered, police sources said that the accused told them that they got frightened after killing the woman as they knew that apart from the two victims, they were the only ones present in the house and would soon get caught. Reconstructing the sequence of event, the police claimed that the accused had bought the knives from the market on Sunday and it is suspected that they hatched their murder plan on the day of the crime itself.
“Between 10:00 pm and 11 pm, they called the woman at the workshop on the pretext of showing clothes designs and then one of them started to gag her mouth and the other started to stab her. The guard Bahadur used to do a round of the house every 10 to 15 minutes to ensure safety and when he reached the workshop, he saw the accused who then attacked him too,” the police said.
The DCP said that they stole valuable items from the house and left the spot in the owner’s car. “We suspect that the accused had thought there would be good money and jewellery inside the house but they did not find that and also there was a money dispute between Rahul, as he claimed that the woman had not given some payment for his work,” police said.
The police informed the woman’s older sister who lives in Gurugram and runs a boutique; her brother is currently living in Goa. Asked about the possible involvement of any other person in the crime, the police official replied that they have not found any other suspect in the case. The woman had been living alone in the mansion for several years and the security guard, a native of Nepal, had been with her family for more than 20 years.
NEW DELHI: Investigators probing the double murder of 53-year-old fashion designer Mala Lakhani and her security guard in Vasant Kunj Enclave told Millennium Post that three hours after the crime, the three arrested accused were in dilemma whether to surrender or flee.
However, one of the broke down and surrendered with the others to the police. Police are now verifying their testimony.
“After committing the murder between 10 and 11 pm, the accused went to Rangpuri Pahari, where they were discussing whether to surrender or flee.
“During this, one of the accused proposed surrendering and all three then went to the police station. These facts have been verified by us,” said an investigator.
Cops further claimed that when interrogated separately, all three accused claimed that they were the first to tell the other two accused to surrender.
“When they were questioned together, they said they made the plan to surrender together,” cops added.
Nushrat, a neighbour of the deceased, told Millennium Post that when her family returned home late Wednesday night, they did not hear anything suspicious from Mala house.
“We were awake till 11.30 pm, but we did not hear anything. It was around 3 am (Thursday) when we noticed police, and later bodies came out of the house. Then we came to know about the murders,” said the neighbour.
She further claimed that Lakhani was a very charming woman and the guard Bahadur always talk to her children. “The tailor never talked to us,” she added.
Police sources claimed that the prime accused Rahul Anwar had worked as a tailor at Lakhani’s workshop for more than three years. He told cops that whenever Lakhani used to get a lot of work orders, more tailors used to come and work at her workshop. The other two accused Rahmat and Wasim also knew tailoring and were working with Anwar, who hatched the whole plan.
Meanwhile, investigators said that the accused Rahul used to get money as per the clothes he made for Lakhani. They added that he had be involved in a molestation case in the past. “It is been suspected that one of the accused had gagged the mouth of the victims, while the others stabbed them to death,” police said.
The other deceased Bahadur had been living with the victim’s family from the last 40 years and his relatives are yet to be reached.