A50-year-old dermatologist was arrested for allegedly killing his domestic worker on the terrace of his apartment in south Delhi’s upscale Mount Kailash area on Thursday morning.
Police said he attacked her with a bat and later used a sharp object to stab her.
According to police officers familiar with the investigation, Dr Manish Gupta’s family said there had been differences over the domestic worker’s employment, but no serious dispute.
Why dermatologist killed domestic worker of 10-12 years
Gupta, who has worked at several top dermatology clinics in Delhi, allegedly killed the woman, who had worked for the family for 10-12 years, on the terrace while his teenage son was inside the flat. Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) told investigators that the victim, 45-year-old Meena Haldar, died due to serious injuries to her neck.
Police said that even after sustained questioning, Gupta said that he killed the domestic worker because she brought “bad energy”, which he believed was affecting his son’s studies, HT reported earlier.
An investigator, who asked not to be identified, told HT that the dermatologist felt he was not getting enough respect within his own family after repeatedly asking that Haldar be dismissed.
The investigator said, “Gupta has said that he did not feel he was being valued in his own home because he had demanded that Haldar be removed from the job, but nobody listened to him. He said this angered him and he attacked Haldar. He did not plan this.
“We questioned his son, who said he had no idea his father had done something. We have not got a clear answer. His wife said they did have a discussion about Haldar and Gupta had asked for her to be removed. But when she disagreed, there was no further argument or fight,” he added.
Accused was receiving mental health treatment
Another officer, who also requested anonymity, said Gupta’s wife and son informed investigators that he had been receiving treatment for mental health problems and had been taking antidepressants for the last 10 years.
“We are still checking his documents and verifying where he went for treatment. We will also question his doctors to understand if there was a trigger or a recent behavioural change. This might help establish a clear motive,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, Haldar’s family said they were still unable to understand why she was killed and called for an impartial investigation.
Robin, Haldar’s son, said, “My father, my wife…everyone is in shock. We don’t know if Gupta acted alone or if his son was also involved. My mother had been working very hard every day to support us. She always praised the Guptas. Why did they do this?”
He followed victim to terrace, attacked her with bat
Dr Gupta, who lived with his wife, who is also a doctor, and their son, confessed to the crime and referred to earlier disagreements with his family regarding Haldar.
At around 10.15 am on Thursday, his wife, Dr Tina Gupta, left for work, while Gupta and their son remained at home.
Haldar arrived at the house between 10.30 am and 10.45 am, finished washing clothes and went up to the terrace to hang them out.
According to police, Dr Gupta went after her and attacked her between 11.15 am and 11.30 am. Investigators said he struck Haldar on the head with a bat, causing her to collapse, and then stabbed her with a knife.
He later came downstairs and left the weapons near the staircase. Police later recovered the blood-stained weapons.