‘Keshav threatened to kill his kin if not given money’

NEW DELHI: Hours before she died on Tuesday, Diwano Devi, 75, confided in her daughter Krishna Saini (60) that her grandson Keshav Saini had threatened to kill the family if he was not given money.

Keshav, 25, on Tuesday night allegedly killed Diwano, along with his father Dinesh Saini (50), mother Darshan Saini (45) and younger sister Urvashi Saini (22) at their two-bedroom house on the second floor of a residential building in south-west Delhi’s Palam. He was arrested while attempting to flee the scene of the crime, said police officers. Members of the extended family have said that Keshav was addicted to drugs, and would often threaten or assault his family members for money. Police, however, have said that he was not under the influence at the time of the alleged murder.

Krishna, a resident of southwest Delhi’s Goyla Dairy, said her mother used to live on the first floor of the building with Dinesh’s older brother -- her other brother -- but had shifted to Dinesh’s house on the second floor only a few days ago. She went to visit Diwano when she told her about Keshav’s threat. “When I went to meet my mother, she cried and told me that Keshav had fought with his mother in the morning and when he was leaving, he told her that he’ll kill them all in the evening,” Krishna said

The second brother’s son Kuldeep, 26, who is the complainant in the case against Keshav, said his cousin had fallen into bad company when he was a teenager, and had been addicted to drugs for around 10 years. According to him, Keshav had started working at a firm in Bengaluru but was fired after he was caught in a document fraud case, and that currently, they were unaware if he was working anywhere.

Police said Keshav has told investigators that at present, he is employed at a firm in Gurugram -- a claim that officers are yet to verify.

Krishna said that last year, Keshav was sent to a rehabilitation centre, where he spent around six months, and was released a few months ago. “He requested his mother Darshan to get him released from there and she agreed,” she said.

Kuldeep also claimed that Keshav was involved in several cases of theft and robbery, including that of an ATM. Police, however, confirmed his criminal involvement in only two cases so far.

Krishna also alleged that about two years ago, Keshav had assaulted Darshan, following which the family went to a police station to report the matter, saying that he was a threat to his mother’s life.

However, Krishna alleged, the family was persuaded to not pursue the complaint as it was a family matter.

A police officer privy to the investigation said they were unaware of the matter.

MEMBERS OF THE EXTENDED FAMILY SAID KESHAV WAS ADDICTED TO DRUGS, AND WOULD OFTEN THREATEN OR ASSAULT HIS KIN FOR MONEY