House help of 24 years held for doctor's murder in south Delhi

New Delhi: The sensational murder of a doctor during a robbery bid at his home in south Delhi's Jungpura on Friday was allegedly plotted by the house help, who had been working there for at least 24 years, police said on Sunday, after arresting her and two of her associates.

Besides the alleged mastermind, the 63-year-old help named Basanti from Nepal, others in the police net are Himanshu, a priest at Haridwar's Birla Ghat, and his brother, Akash.
At least 4-5 people, including Basanti's friend, Varsha, are absconding. Some of the accused belong to Nepal and have reportedly crossed the border after the incident. The motive behind the crime was to make big money, and some of the accused, with criminal backgrounds, had debts to clear.
DCP (Southeast) Rajesh Deo said Basanti had roped in her friends, Varsha and Vishwaroop Sai from Haridwar, to plan and execute the crime. Sai further roped in others for a share in the booty.
Raids are ongoing in different states, and efforts are being made through various channels to bring the Nepalese accused back, cops claimed. In all, 7-8 people were involved, police said, adding that the maid's police verification had not been conducted.
The breakthrough was the result of an analysis of the footage from over 100 cameras besides technical surveillance. "Our teams were able to gather crucial leads within 12 hours of the crime and cracked the case within 24 hours," a senior officer claimed.
The analysis of footage not only showed the entry and exit of the suspects but also revealed their reconnaissance pattern. It has emerged that the final reconnaissance was carried out on May 5 by three of the suspects who studied the routes from where they would arrive and leave.
The hit team arrived in Delhi on May 7, a Tuesday, and they stayed in a hotel in Sarai Kale Khan.
May 10, a Friday, was decided as "D Day" when the suspects trailed the target from his clinic, entered the house behind him, and held him captive. They tied him up and then killed him, so that no evidence was left behind. The suspects looted the house and escaped with Rs 4-5 lakh in cash and around 15 tolas of jewellery. The murder was reported around 6:30 pm on Friday when Dr Paul's wife arrived home.
During the investigation, cops started collecting footage of places where suspects were spotted and pinning its location. This helped them prepare an electronic route that took them from Jungpura to Sarai Kale Khan.
Cops spotted at least six suspects in the footage, and they were seen leaving in groups of two. A massive on-ground exercise was taken up using technical surveillance to nab the suspects.
Basanti was also brought in for questioning. She broke down and confessed.
During interrogation, Basanti said she had lived a life of misery and wanted to spend her old days lavishly. Having observed the doctor over the years, she was aware that he had a lot of money and thus tipped off her associates.
Police have requested that people have their helps and staffers verified. "It doesn't matter how long they have been serving for... The verification not only helps in tracing the suspects in case of a mishappening but also acts as a deterrent. It may ward off criminal ideas from a person's mind given the police's scrutiny on them," said a senior cop. Cops will ask beat officers to check on the elderly people in the area and request them to verify the staff if they haven't.