New Delhi: A 22-year-old woman, the daughter of a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer was found dead in her South Delhi apartment early on Wednesday, the police said.
According to the police, the woman’s family members discovered her inside the house, following which the police were informed. A team was rushed to the crime scene. While there are indications of sexual assault, official confirmation awaits medical examination reports, police said.
The victim’s father is a senior income tax officer, police said. A senior police officer told ThePrint that the preliminary enquiry suggests that the victim, an engineering graduate, who was preparing for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations, was allegedly sexually assaulted before being strangled to death with a mobile phone charger cable.
“The woman was discovered by her parents who took her to the hospital where the doctors, as per preliminary checks, opined sexual assault to police,” said the officer. The family also discovered a cable lying next to the body, police said.
The victim was alone at the time of the incident, police said. As per their routine, her parents had gone to the gym early in the morning, as per their routine.
The police suspect that the incident took place early in the morning, when the woman’s parents were out, leaving her alone at home. “The accused, who the family suspects used to work as a domestic worker, took advantage of this brief window and entered the house and committed the crime,” said an officer investigating the matter.
The family has informed the police that a 19-year-old domestic worker who had worked with the family for around eight months is allegedly involved in the incident. “The worker had reportedly been removed from his job over a month ago for alleged misappropriation of daily purchase bills,” the officer added.
The police are also looking into a robbery angle. They said they are verifying whether any items are missing, but there is no confirmation so far. Police sources said the worker was familiar with the household, the layout of the house and the daily routine of other family members, including when the parents would step out for a walk or gym session.
The officer said that they suspect the accused entered the house around 6 am, following which he attacked the woman, then sexually assaulted her, and finally strangled her using a mobile charging cable before fleeing the spot.
“The woman received injuries on her face, especially a mark on her forehead, that suggests she was hit with a stick, and her neck has strangulation marks,” he said.
The suspect, police said, had also been missing since the time of the incident, and is being traced. Domestic workers in the neighbourhood are being questioned, as are neighbours. Surveillance footage from nearby areas is being scanned.
“The accused is absconding, and multiple teams have been formed to track him down. We are examining all possible angles and gathering evidence,” a senior police official said.
A case has been registered, and forensic teams have collected evidence from the crime scene.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
Also Read: Delhi’s parking wars now end in murder & court cases. It’s the new road rage