A 53-year-old man allegedly killed his wife inside their home over a property dispute before fleeing with lakhs of rupees in cash. The incident took place in Gagan Vihar residence in Delhi’s Shahdara.
During interrogation, police said, the man told investigators that he had been influenced by a Hollywood crime series, ‘The Staircase’, and believed disposing of the weapon would help him evade the investigators.
‘The Staircase’ is a 2022 biographical crime drama mini-series starring Colin Firth, Toni Collette, and Michael Stuhlbarg. It is based on the true story of crime novelist Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen after she was found dead at the bottom of a staircase. The subject was also made into a documentary earlier.
Murder discovered after son returned home
In the Delhi case, the accused, identified as Kamal Singh, was arrested near the Mathura Railway Station following a multi-state search launched by the Shahdara district police, news agency PTI reported.
Officers said he had attempted to stay ahead of investigators by frequently changing his route, but technical surveillance eventually led them to his location.
The case surfaced on the night of July 30 when the couple’s son returned to their residence in Gagan Vihar, Shahdara, and found his 50-year-old mother, Komal Singh, lying in a pool of blood.
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During the initial investigation, police recovered what they believe was the weapon used in the attack. “A blood-stained pair of scissors, suspected to be the weapon used in the crime, was recovered from a bag (in the house),” a senior police officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
CCTV footage became the turning point
Reportedly, CCTV footage played a crucial role in reconstructing what happened inside the house.
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The footage showed that after the couple’s two children left home in the morning, only Kamal Singh and his wife remained inside the residence.
Police said the recordings also captured the victim’s screams before the accused was seen leaving the house with a bag in which the suspected weapon had been concealed.
Cash withdrawals and changing route
Police said the accused had withdrawn around ₹7 lakh from his bank accounts before disappearing.
“Probe revealed that Singh had withdrawn around ₹7 lakh from his bank accounts before going into hiding. Technical surveillance tracked his movement from Delhi towards Gorakhpur, where he allegedly planned to escape to Nepal before abruptly changing course and heading towards Mathura to throw investigators off the trail,” the officer said.
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The search ended near Mathura Railway Station, where officers intercepted him. Police said they recovered ₹12.75 lakh in cash along with a scooter that was allegedly used during his escape after the murder.
Police say murder was planned in advance
During interrogation, Kamal Singh allegedly admitted that the killing had been planned because of a long-standing dispute over family property. Investigators said he had bought the scissors used in the crime a few days before the incident.
Police further said the accused claimed he was influenced by ‘The Staircase’ and believed getting rid of the weapon would make it difficult for investigators to solve the case.
“He also confessed that he intended to dispose of the weapon after watching The Staircase, believing it would frustrate the investigation. The team, however, said scientific investigation, CCTV analysis and technical surveillance dismantled the carefully planned escape strategy,” the officer said.
(With inputs from PTI)
