New Delhi: For nearly 25 years, Meena used to leave her home early morning, commute to East of Kailash in southeast Delhi and work in other people’s homes till evening. Those who knew the 45-year-old house help said they were struggling to understand the circumstances that led to her murder, allegedly by Dr Manish Gupta at his Mount Kailash residence Thursday.
Friends and Family Remember Meena
Friends, employers and her son remember Meena as a woman who rarely spoke about herself and almost never discussed the homes where she worked. One person who knew her for nearly 20 years, however, said that Meena had expressed some concern regarding Gupta’s behaviour of late.
Ramvati, who ironed clothes in Mount Kailash, said Meena was always appreciative of Gupta’s wife. “The only thing she mentioned once or twice recently was that the doctor had become more watchful and would often follow her around while she worked. She said he had a problem with her working when his son was home. He insisted that all the work should be done in front of him,” Ramvati told TOI.
Meena’s Background
Meena lived in Kallu Mohalla, Garhi, with her son, Robin, and daughter-in-law. She moved to Delhi from West Bengal over two decades ago and had been supporting her family since then. Her husband, a farmer in their village back home, is too unwell to come to Delhi for her last rites. Meena also has a daughter in the village.
Meena worked in three homes — those of Dr Gupta, an elderly couple’s flat in the same building, and a home in Sant Nagar, also in East of Kailash. Robin said his mother’s salary was helping pay for his wife’s fertility treatment. “For 10 years, we have been trying for a child. In the next year or so, my mother believed, she would finally become a grandmother. Now she is not alive to see it,” he said.
Employers Recall Meena
The elderly couple, at whose home Meena had worked for nearly eight years, said she was more like a family member. “She would come to our house first and then go upstairs to their flat. She never once indicated that she felt unsafe,” the woman said.
Family Questions Lack of Intervention
Meena’s family asked why nobody informed her about Gupta’s alleged mental health struggle. “If people knew he was unwell and not taking medicines, why was my mother left alone there in a dangerous situation?” Robin asked.
The family also wondered if anyone else could have intervened. Meena’s sister, Shaptami Biswas, said: “I am sure Meena would have resisted. The terrace is right above. How did no one, especially the son downstairs, hear anything?” she said.
Investigation Underway
Gupta’s wife and son have been questioned. Police may take the doctor back to his house to establish the sequence of events. Gupta was sent to police remand for two days Friday.
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