Mansarovar murders: Five relatives of dead guard held

Two months after DNA exclusively reported that the accused in the infamous Mansarovar Park murder case might have been known to the deceased guard, the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Tuesday arrested five of the guard's relatives, including his son and son-in-law.

An 82-year-old woman, her three daughters, and a security guard were brutally murdered in the area on October 7, this year. According to the police, the deceased security guard had hatched a dacoity a month earlier but apparently, his associates killed him as they suspected he would break down in front of the police.

Two days after the murders, DNA had spoken to the investigators and reported that the killers could have been be linked to the guard. District DCP Nupur Prasad had then confirmed that the call records of the deceased guard and his family members were being scrutinised for leads.

Five people arrested have been identified as the guard Rakesh's son Anuj, son-in-law Vikas, his aunt's son Sunny, and his aides Vicky and Neeraj. Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, Alok Kumar said that during the investigation, it was revealed that the persons who inflicted injuries on the deceased were aware that damaging vital organs would cause instantaneous death.

While trying to work on this input, it came to notice of the police that Rakesh's son-in-law worked as a sweeper with the GTB hospital.

"He has worked in various departments of GTB hospital and has knowledge about vital organs. Because of the kind of injuries inflicted on the victims, it was always suspected that the accused had a clear understanding of where to inflict these wounds. It then came to knowledge that the guard's son-in-law fitted our description. Close and continuous watch on the movements of Vikas alias Vicky was kept and all persons in touch with him were interrogated again and again. The Crime Branch's efforts finally yielded results. Vikas broke down and confessed to his crime," Kumar said.

His interrogation revealed that the guard was well acquainted with the Jindal family and knew they were prosperous. In August, on the occasion of raksha bandhan, Rakesh visited his village in Baghpat and conspired with his family members, especially his son and son-in-law Anuj and Vikas, about committing the dacoity in the house.

Anuj then discussed the plan with his associates, Neeraj and Deepak. Vikas also got his relatives, Sunny, Vikas alias Vicky, and friend Nitin involved in the plan. On September 25 around 5 pm, Vikas, Sunny, and Anuj came to Mansarovar Park, met Rakesh, and conducted a recee of the area.

"Thereafter, all the members assembled in Baghpat and finalised their plan. On October 6, they assembled in Loni and switched off their cell phones. Around 1am, they reached Shahdara, met Rakesh, and went to his room. Rakesh called his owner Nupur, who then opened the gate. Vikas then held Nupur from behind, gagged her mouth, and dragged her inside the room, where he slit her throat with a knife. Then other six persons entered the house, while Rakesh stood at the gate to raise an alarm, if required. All of them then stabbed and murdered the other three women in the house and fled with cash and jewellery," the Joint Commissioner said.

After this, Vikas alias Vicky slit the throat of his father-in-law, Rakesh, as he feared that he might easily break down during interrogation. Then they went to a park near GTB hospital and distributed the looted cash and jewellery. They switched on their mobile phones the next day, Kumar said.

A team of over 200 policemen from the Shahdara district, apart from senior Crime Branch officers, had been investigating the matter. In fact, Commissioner Amulya Patnaik himself was among the first few to reach the spot.