A 65-year-old woman was murdered by unidentified assailants at her Keshavpuram house in north-west Delhi and valuables worth Rs 25 lakh went missing from her house.
The deceased, identified as Malti Mishra, was strangulated with a mobile charger and then smothered with a pillow.
The incident took place at a DDA flat where the victim lived with her husband Mahesh Chand (67) who worked as an accountant in a private firm. Their son Manoj had a jewellery and an electronics showroom in Karol Bagh area.
Initial investigation showed the attackers were known to the victim as they had a friendly entry into the house. Police found a bunch of hair on the victim's fist, indicating that a woman was among the assailants, police said.
Two glasses of water found at the spot also indicated that the victim knew the attackers.
"Mahesh Chand returned at around 7 PM from his office only to find the door of the house locked. When he tried to call his wife, the phone went unanswered. He then went to his son's place, brought him along with him," said a police official.
When the two opened the door, they found Malti lying lifeless with a mobile charger around her neck and a pillow on her face while the house was found ransacked.
Police were informed and Malti was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was declared brought dead.
The assailants even ate some snacks before leaving the house which they bolted from outside before fleeing, police said.
A case of murder and robbery has been registered and several teams have been formed to crack the case.
