Former caretaker nabbed for elderly couple’s murder at Shahdara house

The Delhi Police have arrested a former caretaker for the murder of an elderly couple in Shahdara’s Ram Nagar extension area, after a chase of nearly 500 kms, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Ashok Kumar Sen, a resident of Laxmi Park, Nangloi, was nabbed from Sikar, Rajasthan. According to the police, the couple - Virender Kumar Bansal (71), a retired teacher, and his wife Parvesh Bansal (65) - was found dead at their house.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Eastern range) Madhur Verma said all possible suspects, including relatives and individuals with direct or indirect links to the deceased, were questioned during investigation.

The team analysed call detail records (CDR) of over 50 mobile numbers, conducted area dump analysis and examined dossiers of more than 300 known criminals with a similar modus operandi.

It was later found that the elderly couple had employed two caretakers during their illness. One of them, who had worked for nearly two months, was questioned, but no incriminating material was found against him, Verma said.

Attempts were then made to trace the second caretaker. His wife informed the police that he had gone on a pilgrimage to a temple and had not taken his mobile phone along, the official said.

Growing suspicious, a special staff team visited his residence in Nangloi, Delhi, where his photograph was obtained and matched with the physical build of the suspect captured in CCTV footage. Further inquiry revealed that the caretaker had contacted his wife using a relative’s mobile phone, which was traced to Sikar district in Rajastha, the police said.

A joint police team was immediately sent to Tapiplya village in Sikar district, where Ashok was apprehended. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to his involvement in the crime, and the robbed gold jewellery was recovered at his instance, the police said.

The accused revealed that he had previously been employed as a caretaker by the elderly couple and was aware that the woman regularly wore gold jewellery.

To make quick money, he allegedly hatched a plan to rob the couple. He vacated his rented accommodation a few days before the crime, mapped routes that avoided CCTV coverage and disguised himself by covering his body and wearing gloves and spectacles. To prevent digital tracking, he deliberately left his mobile phone behind, Verma added.

He was also aware that the couple’s son was not always present at the house. When their son was not in the house, he murdered the couple and looted the jewellery. After committing the crime, he fled to the house of his wife’s relative in Sikar district, Rajasthan, without a mobile phone in an attempt to evade arrest.