Nejaru Murder case: Police rule out burglary angle, promise swift investigation
“Accused arrived in auto-rickshaw, spoke in Kannada, before housebreaking”: Rickshaw driver
Udupi: The Udupi police have ruled out a burglary angle in the chilling Nejaru murder case, emphasizing that gold jewelry in the house remained untouched.
Superintendent of Police Dr. Arun K while addressing the media on Sunday stated, "The murders appear to be linked to personal issues; no stolen items have been identified.”
On Sunday morning, the victims, Hasina (42) and her children Afnan (22), Aynaz (20), and Asim (12), were brutally stabbed to death, and Hasina's mother-in-law was also attacked but survived after she locked herself in the toilet.
“The victims were stabbed to death using a sharp weapon. Hasina's mother-in-law was also stabbed by the assailant and was later admitted to the hospital,” he informed, expressing that the investigation of the matter had been expedited.
Responding to a reporter's query, the SP further clarified that, “No items were stolen from the house, it does not appear that the act was committed with the intention of theft. We suspect that the murders took place pertaining to personal issues, as of now we cannot ascertain the exact motive behind the murder.”
In the meantime, a rickshaw driver identified as Shyam speaking to the media revealed that the accused arrived at Hasina residence on his auto rickshaw from Santhekatte. Recalling the incident, Shyam stated, “Today between 8:30 am and 9 am, a person who came on a two-wheeler boarded my rickshaw on Queen's Road. He instructed me to take him to Tripthi Layout in Nejaru. Accordingly, I left him near the gate of the house where the murder took place in Tripthi Layout.”
"After I left the house where the murder took place, within 15 minutes, he (assailant) came back to Santhekatte auto park and boarded another rickshaw that was ahead in the queue. I spotted him and asked him that if he had intended to come so soon, I would have waited there. However, he said its okay. He also instructed the rickshaw driver he boarded in Santhekatte to drive faster,"Shyam recalled.
Shyam described the assailant as aged around 45 years old, speaking in Kannada, wearing a mask, bald-headed, with only his eyes visible and a white complexion.
The chilling incident unfolded at 8:30 am when the assailant broke into Hasina's home, stabbing her and her daughters. Hasina's younger son, Aseem (12), who heard the commotion while cycling outside, was also stabbed to death. Hasina’s Mother-in-law, Hajira, narrowly escaped by locking herself in the toilet.
Hajira, despite police instructions, remained in the locked toilet out of fear. Upon forced entry by the police, they discovered her injured but alive.
Reportedly, Hasina's husband was working abroad. Preliminary information indicates two children were home, while another son worked in Mangaluru.
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Dense fog keeps visibility low in Delhi, air quality 'very poor'
New Delhi (PTI): Early morning visibility was low in parts of the national capital on Friday due to a thick layer of smog and haze, with mercury levels settling at 9 degree Celsius.
Delhi's air remained in the 'very poor' category, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 382, edging closer to the 'severe' category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board's SAMEER app, out of 40 air quality monitoring stations across the city, 14 recorded severe air quality while 26 were in the very poor category. Vivek Vihar recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 434, the data showed.
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As per the Central Pollution Control Board's classification, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 satisfactory, 101 to 200 moderate, 201 to 300 poor, 301 to 400 very poor and 401 to 500 severe.
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has forecast that air quality is likely to remain in the 'very poor' category till Saturday and deteriorate to 'severe' on Sunday.
Several parts of the national capital were seen enveloped in dense smog during the early morning hours, leading to reduced visibility.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the minimum temperature settled at 9 degrees Celsius, while relative humidity stood at 100 per cent.
The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius, with dense fog likely to persist through the day.
Meanwhile, the ban on the entry of non-Delhi private vehicles below BS-VI emission standards and enforcement of the 'No PUC, No Fuel' rule came into force in the national capital on Thursday as authorities stepped up measures to tackle worsening air pollution.
Fuel pumps are not dispensing fuel to vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, with enforcement being carried out using automatic number plate reader cameras, voice alerts at fuel stations and police support.
