Man kills wife, son

‘He said that his wife and children have gone to meet God’

Even as Delhi was celebrating Karva Chauth on Friday, an interior designer in North-West Delhi’s Keshavpuram allegedly murdered his wife and four-year-old son.

The accused Vikram Bhatia, who was allegedly drunk at the time of the double murders, has been hospitalised as his own condition was serious when police nabbed him.

It is suspected that Bhatia, 30, consumed poison after killing his family, but police are yet to ascertain that. In a possible suicide note, written by him some days ago, he mentioned he would kill his wife and child on that date because of theirFINANCIAL woes, said DCP (North-West) Vijay Singh. The suicide also mentioned certain debts he was under.

“The family was struggling because of financial problems and that led to frequent fights between the couple. The woman’s brother had tried to intervene in one of those quarrels, but to no avail as he continued picking fights with her in a drunken state,” said the DCP.

The victims have been identified as Sunita, 28, and the couple’s son Navrita. According to the neighbours, the family, native of Amritsar, had recently shifted to a rented accommodation in Ganeshpura area. According to neighbours, they rarely saw the woman and her child emerge from their house. The crime came to light around 10 p.m. on Friday when the flat’s landowner did not see the family come out on the occasion of Karva Chauth. “When he knocked on their door, Vikram opened the door but kept the mesh locked. From inside he said that his wife and children have gone to meet God,” said a neighbour who did not want to be identified.

Alarmed, the landowner called police and also informed Vikram’s brother-in-law. He also locked the flat from outside to prevent Vikram from escaping.

Police said that as soon as they arrived at the crime spot, Vikram ran into his bedroom and lay down motionless next to his wife and son who were lying dead. Initially police thought it was a family suicide bid, but soon realised that he had strangulated the duo.

“Vikram had used his bare hands to strangulate his family,” said the DCP. A murder case has been registered against Vikram and police are waiting for him to recover before they can question him. Meanwhile, neighbours claimed three years ago, a 22-year-old man had committed suicide in the same flat, 10 days after his marriage. Police, however, could not confirm this.

In a possible suicide note, written by the accused some days ago, he had mentioned that he would be killing his wife and child on that date because of their financial woes, said DCP (North-West) Vijay Singh