A case in this regard has been registered at the Safdarjung Enclave police station, police said.An 18-year-old differently-abled boy was smothered to death allegedly by his caretaker at his home in a posh South Delhi locality. The caretaker, a 17-year-old boy, has been apprehended for the murder and for stealing jewellery, a phone and cash worth Rs 40,000 from the house, said police, adding that he appears to have been inspired by Bollywood movie Tu Chor Mai Sipahi. Police are also probing the possibility of sexual assault.
The incident took place Wednesday afternoon when the victim’s family had gone to attend a function and his elder sister was at a nearby market. The boy was at home with the caretaker.
Around 3-4 pm, the caretaker allegedly smothered the boy with a pillow and stole jewellery and cash from the grandmother’s room. Police said he then wrote ‘Killer King’ on the bathroom mirrors with red toothpaste and left a black glove by the bedside before fleeing. Police sources said he also dropped the house keys in the bathroom.
A PCR call about the incident was made around 5.05 pm by the victim’s sister. Manoj C, DCP (Southwest) said, “We reached the house and found the body of the boy on the bed. His sister said she came home around 4.50 pm. Their parents and grandmother were at a family function. When she came back, her brother’s room was locked. She went upstairs and called her cousin. The girls managed to open the door and found the boy unconscious. The juvenile was hired three months ago to take care of the deceased.”
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“We called crime teams and found that the juvenile left a black glove by the bed. We… then found he wrote ‘Killer King’ and a number code on mirrors in the bathroom. This resembled the style of the antagonist in the movie (Tu Chor Mai Sipahi), who also left a black glove at the crime scene and was called ‘Killer King’,” he said.
Six teams were sent to Anand Vihar bus depot, Sarai Rohilla station, New Delhi Railway station and Old Delhi Railway Station to catch the juvenile.
“We spoke to the victim’s family and found they didn’t get verification done of the juvenile. This was a challenge as we only had his name and an old photo. He often contacted his friends who work (nearby), and they were questioned. They said he might go back to his hometown in Bihar. We also got bank details of the juvenile’s mother and suspected he will go to meet her. At 8.07 pm, a team found him on a train (to Bihar) at New Delhi station, which was set to depart at 8.15 pm, and caught him,” added the DCP.
The juvenile was apprehended with the stolen items. During questioning, police said he confessed to the crime and said he felt “humiliated” of his job. “His parents are labourers and don’t earn much. He wanted to quit the job but didn’t have enough money. He planned to commit robbery and flee but the deceased noticed him and objected. The juvenile got scared and killed him,” said the DCP.
A police source said, “After committing the crime, he went up the first floor of the building where the victim’s uncle lives, but was stopped by a family member and asked to leave.”
Police said the boy has been sent to a juvenile home. The source said: “He wanted to be independent and would send most of his earnings to his mother. He has three elder siblings and was stressed about the family’s finances. He told us he had been looking for a job but couldn’t find one. Someone known to him then recommended him for a job at the victim’s place.”
His friends told police they hailed from the same district and would often hang out after work. “They didn’t know he was planning a theft or robbery. He spoke of his family but didn’t reveal much to them,” said police.