Refreshments in living room, last-seen WhatsApp timestamp: How police zeroed in on Govindpuri double murder accused

The examination of CCTV footage eventually led to the arrest of the key accused identified as Saurabh Sahu (28). Saurabh, Sharda’s cousin, allegedly killed her and her son because he was angry over Sharda’s repeated attempts to stop him from engaging in criminal activities and drug abuse, police said.

According to the police, the CCTV footage from the night of May 20 through the early hours of May 21 was unclear and did not provide good visuals of people moving in the area. Officers were informed of the murders at around 1 am on May 21, when the woman’s husband returned home from work.

The woman had suffered around 20 stab wounds, while her son had seven injuries on different parts of his body, police said. Signs of struggle were visible throughout the house, and the bodies were found in the kitchen, with blood splattered all around, police said.

Upon reaching the spot, the police team found a glass of litchi juice along with some biscuits and muffins in the drawing room, indicating that refreshments had been served to a visitor, a detail that hinted that someone known to the family might have killed the two, officers said, adding that the main door of the house was open, and the locker inside an almirah had been broken.

To identify the accused, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-east) Hemant Tiwari formed multiple teams and assigned officers separate tasks, including examining CCTV footage, questioning relatives and friends, and identifying local criminals.

The Anti-Narcotics and Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) teams, led by Inspectors Vishnu Dutt, Ajay Dalal, and Rajender Singh Dagar under the supervision of ACP Kalkaji VKPS Yadav, scanned CCTV footage from the area. Although many visuals were blurred, investigators noticed several people moving through the lane late into the night.

“Scanning the CCTV footage from the area around Govindpuri Gali number 10, which remains crowded until late at night, was a herculean task. Determining the exact time of the murder was crucial for us,” an officer said.

“On checking the mobile phones of the deceased, investigators found that the woman was last seen online at 7:30 pm and her son at 7:49 pm. A neighbour also informed police that he had called the woman at 8:26 pm regarding some work, but the call went unanswered and she never called back,” an officer said.

This information helped police narrow down the probable time of the murders. Investigators subsequently focused on CCTV footage recorded between 7:49 pm and 1 am.

In one of the clips, investigators allegedly spotted a blurry image of a suspect with his face partially covered, captured around 200 metres from the victims’ house. Police then traced his earlier movements to identify locations where Saurabh’s face appeared more clearly. When the clearer footage was shown to the victim’s husband, he identified the suspect as Saurabh, who lived with his family in Sangam Vihar.

“Saurabh’s parents are vegetable vendors. He was previously involved in four criminal cases related to robbery, theft, and snatching in his area. He is a habitual offender and had come to the victims’ house with a plan to commit robbery using a knife that he had purchased specifically for the crime,” DCP Tiwari said.

According to police, Saurabh frequently visited the victim’s house owing to his family connection. Sharda had often tried to persuade him to stay away from criminal activities and drug abuse, but he reportedly resented her interference. A few days before the incident, Saurabh allegedly learned that the woman’s husband had collected money to purchase a house in Kalkaji. Knowing that the husband, who was also involved in the vegetable business, usually returned home late at night, Saurabh allegedly planned the robbery accordingly, officers said.

Police said the deceased’s son opened the door when Saurabh arrived at the house. After a brief conversation, Saurabh allegedly demanded money from the woman, leading to an argument. He then allegedly attacked her, and upon hearing her screams, the boy rushed to her aid, but was stabbed by the accused, officers said.Then, Saurabh allegedly fled with cash and jewellery worth around Rs 10 lakh, officers added.

Saurabh was arrested in the early hours of Saturday after a brief exchange of fire near a park in Tughlakabad Extension. Police said Saurabh sustained a bullet injury during the operation after he allegedly opened fire on the police team. He has since been admitted to a hospital and remains under police custody while receiving treatment, officers said.

Police said some cash and jewellery have been recovered from his house. Investigators are also considering legal action against Saurabh’s mother for allegedly sheltering him, despite reportedly being aware that he had brought home a large amount of cash and jewellery, officers said. Further investigation is underway.