Seven murders, yet leads elude police

NEW DELHI: Two days after the murder of a seven-member family including five children in the capital and all that the police have come up in their investigation is that it was carried out by one of the family’s close relatives. “The discovery of a sweet’s packet on the spot shows that the killers were known to the family,” says a police officer.

However, investigators have no answer to the motive behind the crime. “We are working on various theories,” said a senior police officer. Not willing to elaborate, the officer said a number of persons were being interrogated.

According to sources, the police had zeroed in on the revenge angle and was interrogating several persons. “The way the murders were carried out, it could only be a revenge killing,” said a cop.

Factory owner Om Prakash, his wife Santosh and their five children were found dead with multiple stab injuries in their home in north Delhi on Monday. All bodies were severely mutilated with the girls in a semi-naked condition.

The perpetrators had also tried to burn the bodies. While the bodies of the couple were found on the ground floor, the bodies of their children—Manju (21), Babita (15), Dolly (13), Pooja (12) and Aman (7) were found on  the first floor of the building.

The bodies, with their clothes torn were piled one over the other. However, the post mortem report on Wednesday ruled out sexual assault. The police commissioner has transferred the case to the crime branch