Six questioned, husband under lens as Delhi double murder probe widens

Police probing the double murder of a woman and her teenage son in southeast Delhi have detained six people, including the woman's husband, and are examining several ''suspicious circumstances'' without ruling out the possibility that a robbery angle may have been staged to mislead the investigation, officials said on Friday.

Sharda Sahu (38) and her 13-year-old son, a Class-7 student, were found dead with stab wounds inside their house in Gali No. 10, Govindpuri, early Thursday.

Police suspect the killings took place between 8 pm and 9 pm on Wednesday.

According to police, while cash and jewellery were found missing from the house, investigators are now treating the robbery angle cautiously, and examining whether it was used as a cover to divert attention.

Police are questioning six people, including Sharda's husband Vishnu Sahu, and cross-verifying their statements as investigators piece together the sequence of events leading up to the killings, a senior police officer privy to the investigation said.

The officials said that Vishnu's role is under scrutiny as the investigators found certain aspects of his account and conduct suspicious.

''A few things appeared normal on the surface, particularly the couple's relationship, but there are certain suspicious elements that are being looked into,'' a senior police officer said.

According to police, this was Vishnu's second marriage. His first wife died in 2002, after allegedly being electrocuted.

Police, however, said they are examining the circumstances only as part of a background check, and they have not drawn any conclusions yet.

The investigators believe that the weapon used in the attack appeared to be a large knife commonly used by fruit and vegetable vendors.

Vishnu works as a fruit and vegetable seller, and police are examining whether this aspect has any relevance to the case, the officer said.

The investigators are also examining what they described as a ''curious gap'' in the timeline.

Sources said a milkman informed Vishnu that Sharda was not opening the door despite repeated knocks and calls. However, instead of rushing home, Vishnu allegedly did not show any urgency to check on the situation.

The officials said police are trying to establish the exact timeline of the case and determine whether there were delays or inconsistencies in the sequence of events.

Vishnu had claimed that he returned home around 12.30 am on Thursday and found the front gate latched from the outside. Upon entering, he allegedly found his wife and son lying in a pool of blood.

Forensic teams have collected evidence from the house, while investigators are analysing CCTV camera footage to crack the case, the officer said.

Police are also trying to identify the mobile devices active near the crime scene around the time of the murders to establish the movement of the suspects.

The investigators had earlier said that there were no signs of forced entry, indicating that the attackers may have been known to the family or had entered the house without resistance.