A tragic incident unfolded in Kanpur on Thursday afternoon when a retired lecturer's wife was brutally murdered by an unidentified intruder who broke into their residence. The victim, Nirmala Singh (53), was strangled with a string and her throat was slit before the assailant looted cash and jewelry from the house, according to police officials.
Details of the Incident
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) SM Qasim Abidi reported that the deceased lived in Awas Vikas-1, Kalyanpur. CCTV footage captured a man wearing a saffron scarf entering the house at 1:16 PM and exiting at approximately 2:10 PM, carrying a bag. A woman was also observed moving near the premises. The assailant's face was covered by the scarf, making identification difficult. However, a surveillance team has been deployed to crack the case, and several key inputs have been obtained during the investigation.
Suspects and Investigation
A maidservant employed at the house and two air conditioning mechanics were taken into custody for questioning. The maidservant had left the house 30 minutes before the incident, while the two mechanics had visited earlier for AC servicing. Police are compiling a list of all visitors to the house and are questioning each person. The whereabouts of domestic staff and their family members at the time of the incident are being examined.
Harendra Kumar Singh (60), the retired lecturer, lives at house number H-1624, Awas Vikas-1, Kalyanpur. He retired on March 31 from Bharatiya Vidyalaya Inter College in Acharya Nagar. His family includes his wife Nirmala Singh (53), two married daughters named Pooja and Prachi, and a son named Prasoon, who is employed at a multinational company in Hyderabad after completing BTech.
On Thursday afternoon, Singh stepped out to buy medicine, latching the gate from outside. Upon returning about an hour later, he found the door open. Inside, he discovered his wife's body lying on the floor, the house ransacked, and cupboard lockers broken open. He immediately alerted neighbors and the police.
A forensic team and a dog squad were dispatched to collect evidence. The ADCP West and Kalyanpur police station in charge arrived at the scene with additional forces to conduct a thorough investigation. Singh mentioned that he and his wife were scheduled to travel to Kolkata on April 29 for his niece's wedding.
