Woman, toddler found murdered with throats slit
An eerie silence gripped the narrow lanes of north Delhi’s Majnu Ka Tila on Tuesday afternoon as word of a gruesome double murder spread that shook the tightly-knit community to its core.
A 22-year-old woman and her friend’s six-month-old daughter were found with their throats slit allegedly by her live-in partner, Nikhil, for leaving their house and staying at a friend’s house only two blocks away, following frequent arguments with him.
The baby’s parents, who had given shelter to the woman in their home, were not at home. The woman was watching over the baby when Nikhil came and allegedly slit their throats. “How can anyone slit the throat of a six-month-old baby? What kind of monster is he?” said one neighbour, her voice trembling with anger and grief.
The police said Nikhil appears to have allegedly killed the woman out of anger for leaving him and then murdered the toddler as an act of revenge against the friend for providing his partner a place to stay away from him.
The woman, originally from Uttarakhand, had been living with him for the past few years in a rented house nearby. Nikhil fled from the spot after the incident.
Another man, standing near the crime scene, said, “This could have happened to anyone. The police must take strict action against the accused.”
“The bodies were lying in a pool of blood in the room. The woman was attacked multiple times,” a senior officer from the Civil Lines police station said, adding that it appears to be a crime of rage.
“We are examining CCTV footage and gathering digital and physical evidence to track down the accused,” said the officer.
As the news of the incident spread, crowd gathered near the residence. Many wept openly, especially women who had seen the young mother play with her child near the house.
“They were so happy when the baby was born,” said a neighbour, wiping her tears with the end of her dupatta.
“I remember the family of the girl child distributing sweets, smiling faces and happy mood when their daughter was born. All that happiness is gone and something unimaginable that they may have never thought in their life has happened,” another neighbour said.
Another woman said, “She was such a happy child. Her murder is a curse on humanity.” People demanded strict action against the accused and requested the police to catch him immediately.
“Such people should never be allowed to walk free,” said a neighbour. “He did not just kill two people, he destroyed our sense of safety,” an elderly woman said.
Vineet Kumar, another resident of the area, said: “As soon as we heard that a small child had been murdered, everyone, neighbours, friends, sisters, mothers, came running. The entire street is terrified,” he said.
Delhi