Bhopal Neighbour Woman Arrested Over Alleged Jewellery-Motivated Killing of 75-Year-Old

A 75-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death in Bhopal’s Bajpai Nagar Multi by a woman living in the neighbourhood, with the police saying the killing was carried out for jewellery and cash. The Shahjahanabad police have arrested the accused, identified as Rekha alias Rita alias Reet.

The deceased, Kalri Devi, lived in the A-2 block of Bajpai Nagar Multi. According to the police, the accused was not an unknown person but a woman who lived nearby. Police said she targeted Kalri Devi because of the gold and silver ornaments she possessed.

The accused allegedly strangled the elderly woman, took jewellery and cash from the house and fled. The police have now claimed to have solved the case and arrested her.

Death reported by Hamidia Hospital

Police said they received information about Kalri Devi’s death from Hamidia Hospital on 6 November. Kalri Devi was identified as the wife of Harichand Prajapati.

As the initial inquiry found the circumstances suspicious, the police registered a marg and began investigating the case. The short postmortem report indicated that the cause of death was suffocation.

After the postmortem findings, the police registered a case of murder and loot and intensified the investigation. The report of suffocation led the investigators to examine the possibility that Kalri Devi had been killed rather than dying under natural circumstances.

Suspicion falls on woman living nearby

Considering the seriousness of the case, the DCP Zone-3 formed a Special Investigation Team, or SIT. Police questioned people living in the area and collected technical evidence during the investigation.

The investigation brought the activities of a woman living in the A-1 Multi under suspicion. The woman was taken into custody and questioned. Police said the questioning led to the disclosure that she had allegedly killed Kalri Devi because of her desire to obtain the elderly woman’s jewellery.

The accused, according to the police, was living in the A-1 Multi in Bajpai Nagar. She is originally from Bhusawal in Maharashtra.

Jewellery, cash and clothes seized

DCP Zone-3 Ayush Gupta said the arrested woman was identified as Rekha alias Rita alias Reet.

The police recovered the deceased’s gold earrings, nose stud, silver anklets and cash from the accused’s possession. In addition to the jewellery and cash, the police seized the clothes and slippers allegedly worn during the incident, as well as a mobile phone.

The recovery of these items formed part of the investigation into the alleged murder and loot. Police said the action followed the questioning of the accused and the evidence collected by the SIT and the Zone-3 cyber team.

Previous cases against accused

Police said the accused woman already had criminal cases registered against her.

A case related to the kidnapping and rape of a minor girl is registered against her at Nishatpura police station. Another case is registered at Shahjahanabad police station over abusing, assault and threatening to kill someone in a public place.

The police had announced a reward of 10 thousand rupees for information leading to the accused’s arrest. The SIT and the Zone-3 cyber team helped the police trace and arrest her.

The action was carried out under the guidance of ACP Anil Vajpayee. The police team included station in-charge Umesh Pal Singh Chauhan and inspector Mahendra Singh Thakur, among others.

The report also carries a bite from Ayush Gupta, DCP Zone-3.

The case has drawn attention because the accused was from the same neighbourhood as the elderly woman. According to the police account, the relationship that is generally considered the most trusted for the safety of an elderly person became linked to the alleged killing. Police said Kalri Devi’s life was taken for the sake of some jewellery and cash.