Delhi professor murder: Bengal couple arrested, traveled 1,400km to kill
What's the story
A couple from West Bengal has been arrested in connection with the murder of Debosmita Paul, an assistant professor at Shivaji College, University of Delhi. According to NDTV, the couple traveled nearly 1,400km from Burdwan to commit the crime, reportedly over a property dispute. Paul was found dead in her flat at Satyam Apartments in Vasudhara Enclave on Wednesday.
Personal details
Two masked individuals entered flat
Paul, an assistant professor at Shivaji College, University of Delhi, lived alone in the flat after separating from her husband in 2022. Her husband now resides in Bengaluru. The police investigation revealed that two masked individuals entered Paul's house on Wednesday around 3:20pm and exited about half an hour later.
Investigation progress
No signs of robbery or forced entry
The police found no signs of robbery as jewelry and cash were untouched in the house. There were also no signs of forced entry, indicating that Paul may have let her killers inside. A cab driver who dropped off the suspects is being questioned by authorities to identify the passengers involved in this case.
Discovery
Paul was attacked with heavy object on head
Paul's sister Devarati discovered her body after she was unable to reach her on the phone. She had to break into the house as it was locked from the outside. Preliminary investigations suggest Paul was attacked with a heavy object on her head, and the veins in her wrist were severed. A murder case has been registered, and further investigations are underway.
Murder
How murder was believed to be executed
The report by NDTV cited officials as saying that the killers were residents of Bardhaman. To avoid raising suspicion, they brought their child along. They acquired a friendly entry to the house and murdered the victim with a weapon they had brought with them, officials reportedly stated. The killers returned about 30 minutes later after changing clothes and left in the waiting cab. The couple was eventually arrested in Bardhaman and is now being interrogated.
Motive
Property dispute believed to be reason
At the heart of it all was a property owned by the victim in West Bengal that she had inherited after her maternal grandfather's death. The accused were tenants in the house and had been attempting to acquire it. However, Paul was pressuring them to leave. This led the couple to plot the murder of the victim in an effort to gain her property, according to officials.