In a gruesome incident, a 25-year-old man, a drug addict who recently returned from a rehabilitation centre, killed all his family members in Southwest Delhi’s Palam area.
The accused, identified as Keshav, allegedly stabbed his parents, sister, and grandmother to death over a dispute.
According to police, all four were found lying in a pool of blood. They have been identified as Dinesh Kumar (50), his wife Darshan Saini (40), mother Deewano Devi (75) and daughter Urvashi (18).
As Keshav went on the stabbing spree, the screams of his family members alerted some of their relatives, who live in the same building, and neighbours.
According to a police officer, they received information around 10.30 pm on Tuesday about a quarrel on the upper floor of a house in Palam. Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Manoj C said when a police team reached there, it found four members of the family dead.
The “caller” Kuldeep Saini (26) and his relatives caught hold of the accused and handed him over to the police, he said.
On being handed over to the police, Keshav warned his cousin Saini, “When I come out of jail, it will be your turn.”
Saini lives on the first floor of the building and his uncle’s family lives on the second.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Keshav did not have a stable job. He used to work in a company in Gurugram and left the job a month ago, police said. Prima facie it seems the accused killed his family members following an argument, police said.
Keshav’s relatives said they are shocked and completely devastated. “Around 10 pm, I heard my cousin Urvashi (Keshav’s sister) calling my name and screaming for help. When I went upstairs, I saw that the gate just outside the main door was locked and there was silence. I knocked on the door and asked Keshav to open it. But he insisted that I leave as it was their family matter,” Kuldeep recalled.
Saini said he later saw Keshav trying to flee on a scooter, but managed to get hold of him and handed him over to the police. “When the police were taking him away, he told me that he will be in jail for 10 to 15 years and when he finishes his term, he would kill me,” Saini said. He said he and his parents opened the gate outside Keshav’s main door after cutting the iron mesh and found his grandmother and Urvashi lying in a pool of blood in one room, and Keshav’s parents dead in the washroom.
He further said Keshav used to quarrel with his family over money for his drugs. On Tuesday also, Keshav and his mother had a heated argument over money. On November 2, Keshav had allegedly stolen batteries from the first floor and returned home last night to get some money. He was in jail for sometime in connection with an ATM robbery case, Saini said.
Keshav’s another cousin Rajneesh demanded death penalty for him.
“A case under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered with the Palam police station and further investigation is on,” police said.
