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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, June 13: Close on the heels of a couple’s murder in Vashi by a domestic servant, a 65-year housewife was found killed at her residence in Usha Kiran building at Gamdevi in south Mumbai this afternoon. The police, who have been maintaining that the common man is not affected by the rising crime graph in the metropolis, suspect it to be the handiwork of two youths who entered the Seth household looking for job.
The murder is believed to have been committed sometime after 11 am, when Shivprakash Seth left the plush apartment in the 26-storeyed building which houses a host of film personalities like producer Prakash Mehra, Tanuja and actress Kajol.
Prima facie evidence indicate that Uma was gagged before being stabbed once on the right side of the abdomen. She was also hit on the back of her head indicating that the assailants had taken her by surprise.
Official and eyewitness reports from the scene of the crime said two youths aged around 15 and 20 years walked up the building’s security sectionaround 10.30 am and claimed that they were called by the Seths living in flat No 19 on the 9th floor. The guard on duty after ascertaining that they were called by the Seths who were looking for domestic help, allowed them in.
After quizzing them, the Seths asked them to prove their cooking skills and ushered them into the kitchen to chop some vegetables for lunch. The two potential servant soon got to work.
Seth, a mill-owner, soon left for his office at Nariman Point virtually leaving his wife at the mercy of the two strangers. He last saw her entering the bedroom to change her sari, Seth told the police.
The murder came to light around 12 noon when Seth’s brother Rameshbhai called on their Usha Kiran residence and found nobody answering the door bell. He asked the security personnel to confirm whether the Seths were at home and later called up his brother.
A worried Seth, fearing for the worst, made phone calls to his residence only to find the bell ringing. He rushed home and find the door latchedfrom inside. Opening in the door with duplicate keys, Seth found the body of wife in a pool of blood dumped in the living room. The two servants, who had turned up for seeking a job, were also gone without leaving a trace.
In a combing operation carried out in the evening the police rounded up some Biharis working in the neighbourhood for clues. Investigations have revealed that Seths was in a financial mess after some of their mills closed down.
Their one son and two daughters are settled in USA and the couple were living alone in the high-rise apartment. The police have also learnt that a couple of servants had left their jobs with the Seth family in the last 15 days. The couple were badly in need of a servant and the suspected killers were from Bihar State, revealed the police.
