New Delhi: In an "act of revenge", a domestic help killed his employer and her teenage son at their residence in southeast Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar after being scolded by the woman, police said on Thursday.
The accused, Mukesh (24), a native of Hajipur in Bihar, was apprehended by Uttar Pradesh railway police while attempting to flee on a train, officials said.
The incident was reported following a PCR call received at 9:43 p.m. on Wednesday from Kuldeep Sewani, a resident of Lajpat Nagar-I. He informed police that his wife, Ruchika (42), and son were not responding to his calls and that bloodstains were visible on the staircase of their home.
"A PCR van and an investigation team rushed to the spot where Kuldeep reported that the main gate of the house was locked from outside. Bloodstains were seen on the staircase leading to the house.
"Police forcibly opened the door and found the bodies of the woman and her son inside," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari.
The body of Ruchika was found with the throat slit in the bedroom, while the body of her 14-year-old son was recovered from the bathroom. Both of them were killed with a sharp weapon, he said.
According to police, Mukesh had been working with the family for the past 3–4 years. Though initially employed as a domestic help, he also assisted Kuldeep and Ruchika at their garment shop in the Lajpat Nagar market and served as their driver.
"Kuldeep and Ruchika jointly ran the business, and their son was a class 10 student," said DCP Tiwari.
Another police officer involved in the investigation said, "Prima facie the incident took place between 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm on Wednesday. The accused was scolded by the woman during the day, which appears to have triggered the act of revenge. It seems that he first slit the throat of the woman and then killed the boy."
Following information about the double murder, multiple police teams were formed, and the accused’s photo was shared with police and railway authorities in other states, the officer added.
He stated that after committing the murders, Mukesh locked the house from the outside and fled with his belongings. He was tracked through technical surveillance and arrested aboard a train at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction by the Uttar Pradesh railway police while en route to Bihar.
"The accused will be brought to Delhi for questioning and formal arrest. We are also checking CCTV footage from nearby locations to verify whether the accused also stole any valuables from the house before fleeing," the officer said.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
(inputs from PTI)