A married couple and their minor son from West Bengal have been arrested for the murder of a Delhi University assistant professor, allegedly over a long-running property dispute, police said on Sunday.
Victim Found Dead in Flat
Debosmita Paul, an assistant professor at Shivaji College, was found dead in her flat at Satyam Apartments in east Delhi's Vasundhara Enclave on June 3. Police said the accused family had been living in Paul's ancestral property in Burdwan, West Bengal, since 2023, which had been allotted to her through a family settlement. The victim had repeatedly asked them to vacate the premises, leading to a prolonged dispute.
Murder Plot and Execution
According to investigators, Paul had recently issued a final warning to the family to vacate the property, after which they allegedly conspired to eliminate her. They traveled nearly 1,400 kilometers to Delhi on June 3 with preparations to execute the crime. The accused, known to the victim, gained entry into her sixth-floor apartment without resistance. Initial investigation pointed to the property dispute as the main motive.
Paul had been living alone after separating from her husband in 2022. During the probe, police also questioned her husband, who resides in Bengaluru.
How the Crime Was Committed
CCTV footage from the housing complex showed the accused arriving with their minor son, concealing their identities, and using the staircase and lifts at different stages. Police said they carried the murder weapon and killed Paul inside her residence. After the crime, they changed clothes and kept their faces concealed while moving around the complex.
The family then hired a taxi and an auto-rickshaw to flee. They traveled to Anand Vihar, then to New Delhi Railway Station, where they boarded the Poorva Express at around 5:40 pm on June 3, reaching Burdwan the following day.
Investigation and Arrests
The breakthrough came after police detained the cab driver who had transported the suspects and analyzed ride details. Officers scrutinized footage and records of nearly 200 visitors who entered the complex on the day of the murder, shortlisting 13 suspects for detailed examination.
Extensive CCTV analysis revealed that the accused had stayed at a guest house in Dallupura, Delhi, on June 3 before the crime. Police recovered details of two Aadhaar cards from the guest house records, which belonged to unrelated people. The accused had allegedly used these credentials to conceal their identities.
Seven Delhi Police teams conducted raids across four states, examining hundreds of people. The trail led officers to Burdwan, West Bengal. A police team flew to Bengal on June 6 and tracked the suspects through CCTV footage from Burdwan railway station after they deboarded the train. The accused were traced to their hideout.
Suspects Apprehended
On June 7, police apprehended Ramprashad Das (42), who runs a sanitary shop in Burdwan, and his wife Banashree Das (36), a homemaker. Their minor son was apprehended under the Juvenile Justice Act. Police recovered a mobile phone belonging to the deceased, a razor allegedly used to cut the victim's wrists, a backpack, clothes, a cap, train tickets, and other travel-related documents.
The accused are being produced before the court for transit remand and will be brought to Delhi for further investigation. Police said further investigation is underway.
