Noida Sector 15 Senior citizen's murder case solved; killer arrested (image used for representational purpose only)
Noida Police on Friday arrested a painter for allegedly strangling a 70-year-old woman dead at her home here, solving the blind murder case in 10 days. The body of Santosh Nain was found on July 28 in a bathroom of her house in posh Sector 15. She was staying alone and all three of her sons have settled abroad, the police said.
The police were initially suspecting the role of an insider and probing a property-related angle too but investigation led them to Rajesh (32), who had painted the woman's house one-and-a-half years ago.
“Accused Rajesh works as a painter and lives in the JJ colony in Sector 16. He was arrested on Friday morning from Rajnigandha Chowk,” a police spokesperson said.
“During interrogation, Rajesh confessed to killing the woman because he wanted to muffle the woman's voice as she had started screaming on finding out that he stole her purse containing Rs 1,500,” the spokesperson said.
The accused told the police that he was passing by from the woman's neighbourhood on July 27, when she noticed him and called him inside her home for some paint work, the official said.
“While telling him about the work, she went to the kitchen. Rajesh noticed a purse lying on a table which had Rs 1,500 in it and moved ahead to grab it with an intention to take the money away. However, the woman suddenly emerged from the kitchen and noticed the act,” the official said.
“The woman threatened that she would call the police and started screaming to raise an alarm about the situation. Rajesh then gagged the woman's mouth and took her to the bathroom and strangled her to death,” the spokesperson said.
The accused then checked the cupboards in the house and did not find anything enticing but removed a yellow-metal chain from the body and took the Rs 1,500 from the purse.
He also took away a TV and a stabiliser from the woman's house before fleeing the spot clandestinely, the policeman said.
A part of the chain has been recovered from his home, while he told the police that he sold the TV to a friend for Rs 4,000, the official said.
Rajesh has been booked under Indian Penal Code section 302 (murder) and further proceedings are underway at the local Sector 20 police station.
