Caretaker Strangles 75-Year-Old Woman Dead To Steal From Her, Bedridden Husband

A 75-year-old woman was reportedly strangled to death before being robbed by her own caretaker and his two associates at her flat in Delhi, India on May 31.

The horrifying incident reportedly took place in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area. The victim has reportedly been identified as Savitri Sharma, 75, who lived with her husband Jaipal Sharma, a bedridden chronic cancer patient who also suffers from mental illnesses.

The woman had reportedly hired a man named Monu, 22, through a placement agency to help them with their household chores and to aid in taking care of Jaipal. Instead, the caretaker roped in two of his accomplices Vishal, 22, and Naveen, 31, to allegedly rob the woman and her husband as they were "easy targets," reported Hindustan Times.

Sharma was discovered unconscious on June 1 afternoon after a friendly neighbor decided to check on her and her husband. The neighbor immediately alerted authorities after finding the elderly woman sprawled out on the floor and the caretaker Monu missing.

Sharma was rushed to a nearby hospital, however, she reportedly succumbed to her injuries later at the facility while being treated. Following her demise, doctors have deemed her cause of death as strangulation due to marks and heavy bruises around her neck, The Times of India reported.

Her husband Jaipal was reportedly in the flat when the murder and robbery took place. However, due to the severity of his dementia, he was largely unaware of his wife’s murder and the robbery, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Urvija Goel.

Monu was eventually tracked down for questioning, during which the suspect changed details about his testimony repeatedly leading authorities to question his alibi. The caretaker had initially claimed that he witnessed two robbers break into the house and attack the elderly woman.

CCTV footage confirmed law enforcement's suspicions after seeing that Monu arrived at the couple's flat that day with two unidentified people. The three were reportedly seen fleeing the area in a hurry sometime later that night. Monu later confessed to his involvement in the crime and named a Naveen and a Vishal as his accomplices, reported The Hindu.

On May 31, Monu allegedly called Vishal and told him that his employers, Suresh and Jaipal, had received a large payment. Following this, the two reportedly planned a robbery scheme and enlisted Naveen as their third partner.

The trio set their plan into motion that same day, with Naveen keeping watch outside the premises as Monu and Vishal assaulted the 75-year-old victim to reveal where she hid the cash and valuables in the flat. The duo proceeded to brutally strangle Sharma before fleecing the home of money and jewelry. Monu reportedly started working at the house on May 30, only two days before the murder.

All three of them have reportedly been arrested in Burari, North Delhi in connection to the murder-robbery incident. A pair of earrings, 2,000 Rupees cash, and the motorcycle they used to flee the scene were seized from the trio, police confirmed.