Elderly Delhi woman, 65, found dead, husband critical, mentally unstable son rescued

A 65-year-old woman was found dead in her Southeast Delhi apartment late on Sunday night, while her husband was discovered in critical condition and their mentally unstable son was rescued after allegedly confining himself indoors for several days, police said.

According to officials, a PCR call was received at the Jamia Nagar police station around 11:10 pm on September 21, reporting a dead body at B1, Queen Apartments, Gali No. 1, Ghaffar Manzil.

The caller, identified as the woman’s brother, said that when he visited his sister’s home, her son Imran was speaking from inside but not opening the door, and there was no response from his brother-in-law.

Based on the call, a police team rushed to the spot and, with the help of neighbours, forced open the locked door and entered the flat.

Inside, officers found Aftab Jehan, 65, lying lifeless on a bed in one of the bedrooms.

Beside her was her husband, Siraz Khan, 70, a retired music teacher from Jamia Millia Islamia, in a fragile condition. Their son Imran, aged around 48-50, was sitting outside the room.

Khan was immediately shifted to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where he is reported to be critical but stable.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that Imran, who has a history of psychiatric illness, had remained inside the flat for three to four days without food, unable to seek medical help for his ailing parents.

The couple’s daughter, who lives in Hong Kong, had been trying to reach the family for several days. When she failed, she requested her maternal uncle, Ahmed Khan, to check on them, leading to the discovery.

Police said the body of Aftab Jehan was in a highly decomposed state, with no visible injuries. “It appears to be a natural death due to illness, though the exact cause will be ascertained after a post-mortem,” an officer said.

Imran was taken to the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) in Shahdara and later referred to GTB Hospital as no relative was available to accompany him, officials added.

The district crime team has inspected the scene, and proceedings under Section 176 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are underway.