Chandigarh, Aug 4 (PTI) A 72-year-old woman, the wife of a retired Army captain, was killed allegedly by their domestic help after an argument over some missing jewellery in Panchkula, police said on Tuesday.
The body of Neera Mehta was recovered from the rooftop of a house in Sector-21, Panchkula, on Monday, the police said, adding the maid, her husband and son have been arrested in the murder case.
The police said they solved the murder of the elderly woman within 24 hours and arrested the three accused.
Panchkula DCP Aditi Singh told reporters that on Monday, retired Army captain Manmohan Lal Mehta, a resident of Panchkula, lodged a complaint at Sector-21 police post.
He stated in the complaint that his wife, Neera Mehta, had gone to the house of their domestic help in Sector-21 after suspecting her of stealing jewellery from their home after which she did not return.
The DCP said that the police immediately reached the domestic help’s house that was locked from outside. From the terrace of a neighbouring house, the police saw the woman’s body wrapped in a mat lying on the rooftop of an adjoining house.
A case was registered at Sector-20 police station under Sections 103(1) (murder), 238(B) (causing disappearance of evidence), 3(5) (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all) and 305 (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
During a swift investigation, the Sector-21 police post team arrested main accused maid Sunita, her husband Shankar, and their son Raja from Panchkula, the DCP said.
Initial probe found that an argument over the suspected theft turned into a physical scuffle, during which the elderly woman died, the officer said, adding the exact cause of death will be known after the postmortem report.
The accused told the police that they have been living in Panchkula for several years.
DCP Singh said that all three accused will be produced before a court in Panchkula on Wednesday to seek police remand.
She further said that Commissioner of Police Pankaj Nain had earlier launched a special helpline — 9115777026– for senior citizens living alone in Panchkula.
Through this helpline, senior citizens can get their domestic helps verified by the police and seek immediate assistance whenever required, the officer said.
She appealed to all senior citizens living alone to contact the helpline, their nearest police station, or the concerned police post and get their domestic helps verified.
Singh added that in this case, the elderly family had not informed the police that they were living alone.
So far, 170 senior citizens living alone have been identified in Panchkula, the officer said. PTI SUN KVK KVK
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