Retired teacher arrested for killing wife, daughter-in-law over suspicion of illicit affairs

A 64-year-old retired teacher was arrested on Friday for allegedly killing his wife and daughter-in-law in Rohini here suspecting them of being in illicit relationships, police said.

The accused, identified as Satish Chaudhary, is a resident of Shiv Apartments in Rohini Sector-4, they said.

On Friday at 5.55 am, Satish's younger son Saurabh Chaudhary (30) informed police about the incident, a police officer said.

Saurabh had suffered injuries while trying to save the victims, he added.

The accused, a retired private teacher, has been apprehended and the weapon of offence, a kitchen knife, recovered, police said.

At around 5.30 am, Satish entered the room where his wife, Snehlata Chaudhary (62), and daughter-in-law, Pragya Chaudhary (35), were sleeping. He first stabbed Pragya multiple times and when Snehlata tried to rescue her, he attacked her too, the officer said.

"When police reached the spot, they found Pragya, an air hostess, and Snehlata, who was a retired DTC employee, in a pool of blood," said S D Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini).

The accused suspected that his wife and daughter-in-law were in illicit relationships with other men, police said.

Saurabh said he heard cries of the victims during sleep. He said he rushed to their room and tried save them from his father but was unsuccessful and got an injury on his left hand, police said.

He said he locked his father in the room and took his five-year-old niece and one-year-old nephew to a neighbour's house and later called police, they said.

Police said they reached the spot and rushed the victims to a hospital where they were declared brought dead.

Their bodies have been kept in a mortuary at Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital for post-mortem, which will be conducted on Saturday, they said.

Pragya's husband Gaurav Chaudhary is a software engineer and is currently living in Singapore. A family member of Pragya said she was an air hostess and planning to move to Gurgaon, police said.

Saurabh is unmarried and works as a software engineer in Bangalore, they said.

A case under sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Vijay Vihar police station, police said.