Kailash Bhatt (31), accused of murder of an old woman and arrested by Chandigarh Police on Thursday night, during a press conference on Friday. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh) UT police on Friday arrested a 31-year-old cook, Kailash Bhatt, who lost his job due to Covid-19 last year, for killing a 98-year-old inside her residence in Sector 8 on August 6.
Police said the victim, identified as Joginder Kaur, was primarily killed by Bhatt because he wanted to rob her place and thought her to be an easy target.
Investigators said that the arrested accused, Kailash Bhatt, had lost his job during the Covid lockdown last year and was under immense financial stress. In order to make ends meet, Bhatt decided to break into a house for stealing money and valuables. He first surveyed all nearby areas of Sector 8, before zeroing down on Joginder Kaur, who he found stayed alone in her house. He, thereafter, started keeping a watch and noted the activities of Kaur’s domestic help. He noticed that Kaur’s domestic help went for an evening stroll daily at around 6.30pm, for 30-45 minutes. This was the window he chose for carrying out the incident.
Police said that on the evening of August 6, Bhatt broke into the house of Kaur with the primary purpose of stealing valuables. However, he was detected by Kaur who tried to raise the alarm, prompting Bhatt to first muffle her screams and then stab her with a knife. The assailant, police said, had left the kitchen knife, which was used for committing the crime, at the spot. Sources said Bhatt was trying to commit the theft in the servant’s quarter of the house, when he was spotted by Joginder Kaur, who raised the alarm.
A police team comprising Inspector Satinder Singh, and SI Sunil Kumar from PS 3 arrested Bhatt from near Sector 4/5/8/9 roundabout on Friday afternoon. Inspector Satinder Singh said, “Bhatt had lost his job after people stopped hiring cooks during the first wave of Covid-19 spread. During this period, his wife had also delivered a baby. He had taken a loan for the treatment of his wife. The installments of his bike were also pending.”
SSP (UT) Kuldeep Singh Chahal confirmed that accused Kailash Bhatt was also under a huge amount of debt. He informed that the blood-stained clothes and shoes of the accused have been seized. Sources said before Covid-19, Bhatt was earning just enough to provide for his life. After losing his job, he started working as a part-time cook in Sector 15 which didn’t pay him enough.
Police said that Bhatt, his wife, and their 18-month-old son stayed in the servant quarter of a house in Sector 8. Bhatt’s wife was working as a maid in the said house.
Investigators said that before killing Joginder Kaur, Bhatt had managed to steal around Rs 700 from the servant’s quarter of the victim’s house. Kaur had allotted her servant quarter to her domestic help, Bhavana, who stayed there with her husband. Kaur’s body was spotted by Bhavna, who called her husband and informed the police control room. A case of murder was registered at PS 3. Joginder Kaur has two children, both of who are settled abroad.
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