A 50-year-old dermatologist was arrested for allegedly murdering his domestic worker on the balcony of his apartment in south Delhi’s upscale Mount Kailash area on Thursday morning. Police said he attacked her with a bat and later used a sharp object to stab her.
According to police officers familiar with the investigation, Dr. Manish Gupta’s family said there were disagreements over the employment of the domestic worker, but there was no serious dispute.
Why would a dermatologist kill a 10-12 year old domestic worker?
Gupta, who worked in several top dermatology clinics in Delhi, allegedly killed the woman, who worked for the family for 10 to 12 years, on the balcony while his teenage son was inside the apartment. Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) told investigators that the victim, 45-year-old Meena Haldar, died of severe injuries to her neck.
Police said that even after sustained interrogation, Gupta said he killed the domestic helper because she brought in “bad energy”, which he believed was affecting his son’s studies, HT reported earlier.
One of the investigators, who requested anonymity, told HT that the dermatologist felt he was not respected enough within his family after he repeatedly asked for Haldar’s dismissal.
“Gupta said he did not feel appreciated at home because he had demanded Haldar’s removal from the job, but no one listened to him. He said this made him angry and he attacked Haldar. He did not plan this,” the investigator said.
“We questioned his son, who said he had no idea his father had done something. We didn’t get a clear answer. His wife said they had a discussion about Haldar, and Gupta asked for her removal. But when she disagreed, there was no further argument or fight,” he added.
The accused was receiving psychological treatment
Another officer, who also requested to remain anonymous, said Gupta’s wife and son told investigators that he had been receiving treatment for mental health issues and had been taking antidepressants for the past 10 years.
“We are still verifying his documents and checking where he went for treatment. We will also question his doctors to understand if there is a reason or recent behavioral change. This may help in identifying a clear motive,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, Haldar’s family said they still cannot understand why she was killed and called for an impartial investigation.
Haldar’s son, Robin, said: “My father, my wife… everyone is in shock. We don’t know if the Gupta was acting alone or if his son was also involved. My mother worked hard every day to support us. She always spoke highly of the Guptas. Why did they do this?”
He followed the victim to the balcony and attacked her with the bat
Dr Gupta, who lives with his wife, also a doctor, and their son, confessed to the crime and cited previous disagreements with his family over Haldar.
At around 10.15 am on Thursday, his wife Dr Tina Gupta left for work, while the Gupta and their son remained at home.
Haldar reached home between 10.30 am and 10.45 am, finished washing the clothes and went up to the balcony to distribute them.
According to the police, Dr Gupta chased and attacked her between 11.15am and 11.30am. Investigators said he hit Haldar in the head with a bat, causing her to collapse, and then stabbed her with a knife.
He later went downstairs and left the weapons near the stairs. Police later found the blood-stained weapons.
