Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: A two-month pregnant woman and her three daughters aged between three and five were found dead with their throats slit in their house in Outer Delhi’s Samaypur Badli.The killings took place Tuesday night and the woman’s husband, identified as Munchun Kewat, has been missing since then. Kewat, a vegetable vendor at Azadpur Mandi, is the main suspect, said Hareshwar Swami, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North). Police were informed of the killings by neighbours in the apartment building in Chandan Park on Wednesday. Police found no signs of struggle. “We suspect they were killed while sleeping,” a senior officer said. Investigators are examining whether sedatives were mixed into food or water before the attack. Forensic teams have collected leftovers, including kheer and ladoo, for laboratory analysis. Relative’s son found children with their throats slit and woman lying face down Police said there was an argument between Kewat and his wife Anita around 9 pm. They also found CCTV footage in which the suspect was seen walking. Sources said Kewat’s phone was switched off after 10.30 pm.According to relatives of the deceased, the bodies were first seen by Kewat’s 10-year-old nephew who lived nearby. He had been sent to check by his father who found his brother’s phone switched off. They used to go to mandi together, and Kewat hadn’t shown up on Tuesday.Ruby Devi, a relative who lived in the same building as the deceased, said the boy noticed the gate to the room was open when he entered. He found the bodies on the bed with visible injuries. He immediately ran out crying, alerting neighbours, who then called the police.“When I heard the boy screaming, I thought it might be a case of child theft, as rumours had been swirling. But he told me what had happened to my family. When I went inside, I found them lying on the bed. The children’s throats were slit, and the woman was lying face down,” she said.“All four victims had their throats slit with a sharp edged weapon. The injuries were so deep that their windpipes was cut,” a senior police officer said, describing the crime scene as “extremely brutal”.Besides the Kewat family, two other families lived on the same floor of the building. Parul, who lives in one of the neighbouring rooms, said she did not hear any unusual sounds at night. Another relative, Sapna, said she last saw Kewat on Tuesday, wearing a maroon shirt and slippers.Raids are underway in Bihar, the accused’s native state, as well as in other parts of Delhi. The accused previously worked in Chennai, and police said they would investigate his activities there as well.A case under Section 103 (murder) of BNS has been registered at Samaypur Badli police station.
