Revenge may be motive in VV murder

NEW DELHI, April 22: The South West District police believes that M L Monga, the 77-year-old man who was found smothered to death yesterday ...

NEW DELHI, April 22: The South West District police believes that M L Monga, the 77-year-old man who was found smothered to death yesterday at his posh Vasant Vihar home, could have been a victim of a revenge-killing.

Investigators were told by domestic workers in the neighbourhood that the dead man had 8220;a record of sexual misconduct8221; with maids who worked for him. This has led the police to investigate the angle that one of his victims could have had a hand in the killing.

Monga, a retired civil servant from the Defence Ministry, lived alone. His son Kamal is the last known person to have met him at the Vasant Vihar house on Saturday. Later that even, the father and son are said to have had a telephonic conversation around 9.30 p.m. and nothing seemed amiss.

After failing to reach his father by telephone on Sunday and Monday, the dead man8217;s other son Ravindra reached the Vasant Vihar house on yesterday morning and found the place swarming with police personnel.

The police believes Monga was probably murdered late on Saturday. There were no signs of a forced entry and this has led the police to believe that he was murdered by someone who knew him. Initial indications were that nothing had been stolen from the house.

The domestic helpers8217; grapevine in the area gave the police to understand that there were two unsavoury episodes involving the deceased and his employees. A Nepali worker is said to have complained to her neighbourhood colleagues of repeated attempts by her employer to molest her. She put in her papers about a week ago.

The police is also seeking out a 35 8212; year-old woman, a native of Visakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, who was in Monga8217;s employ for clues to cracking the case. About ten months ago she left his employ and returned to her native village. Monga filed a complaint with the area police station, accusing her of robbing him of some household items like blankets and a fan.

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A police team was sent to her native village from where she was arrested and brought back to Delhi. She reportedly told the police that she had been gifted the items. Since she was not in a position to get bail, she had to spend around six months in prison. She was then bailed out by Monga himself. Police say that she stayed in Monga8217;s house till about one-and-a-half months ago when she left again for her native village.

8220;We have sent a police team to Andhra Pradesh to find the maid so that we can interrogate her,8221; said DCP South West, S Prakash.