Delhi Police arrested Monika, 30, in the double murder case.
| Photo Credit: ANI
A day after an elderly couple was found dead with their throats slit at their home in north-east Delhi’s Gokalpuri, fear and grief gripped the neighbourhood on Tuesday.
Returning home after cremating his parents, a distraught Ravi Rattan, 38, told Today News 24, “I have just cremated my parents. My five-year-old son doesn’t even understand what has happened. What should I tell him?”
Radhey Shyam Verma, 72, a retired vice-principal of a government school, and his wife Veena, 68, were found dead on Monday morning.
“Initially, it was suspected to be a case of robbery since the place was completely ransacked and ₹4.5 lakh was missing,” a senior police officer said, adding the couple’s daughter-in-law Monika, 30, has been arrested in connection with the murders. According to the police, she allegedly took the help of her friend Ashish, 29, and his aide to execute the killings. Ms. Monika, the police said, befriended Mr. Ashish on Facebook in August 2020.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East) Joy Tirkey said Ms. Monika wanted to settle down with Mr. Ashish, a resident of Ghaziabad, after eliminating the entire family.
“She and Ashish had been planning the murders since December, 2022,” the DCP said, adding that the elderly couple’s decision to sell their property prompted the accused to execute their plan now.
According to police, Ms. Monika’s in-laws had found out about her affair, leading to frequent quarrels in the family.
Neighbours said there was an atmosphere fear in the area following the murders. Mohammad Junaid, who lives opposite to the Vermas, described the elderly couple as “nice people who shared good relations with everybody”.
“We don’t know what was happening inside the house but uncle and aunty never seemed tense. What has happened is very sad. We are worried about Ravi and the little boy,” he said.
