Days after a 72-year-old woman, who retired from the Textiles Ministry, was found murdered in the bushes in southeast Delhi’s Taimoor Nagar, police have isolated a pool of 84 autorickshaw drivers who were in the area at the time.Police investigation in the case has revealed that the victim, Roop Lata, took an auto from Badarpur after getting off a bus on route 717, to go home.
During investigation, police found CCTV footage from a camera installed near a bus stand in Mahipalpur, which shows the woman passing by the bus stand at 7.22 pm on November 10.
“Police, with the help of transport authority, found that all auto-rickshaws have been fitted with Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Using geo-coordinates, they found that 84 auto-rickshaws were plying at the time of incident near the spot. Police also came to know she was carrying some cash and wearing gold jewellery,” a senior police officer said.
Police are verifying the movements of the auto drivers to zero down on a suspect. Lata, police said, was unmarried and was staying alone at DDA flats in Taimoor Nagar.
“The incident took place on November 10 when she was returning home after celebrating Bhai Dooj. She boarded a bus from Mahipalpur and her phone location revealed that she alighted at Badarpur, from where she took an autorickshaw,” a senior police officer said. She later went missing under mysterious circumstances.
Her brother started looking for her when she did not reach home. Her mobile phone was switched off. Police said that her phone was last active in Pul Prahladpur area. Meanwhile, police found an unidentified body in Sarita Vihar, close to Taimoor Nagar.
“Police approached Lata’s brother after he pasted posters with her photograph, asking people to provide information on her whereabouts. He was called to identify the body. Police then lodged a case of murder and robbery before starting their investigation,” police said.
DCP (southeast district) Chinmoy Biswal said, “Several of our teams are working round the clock and trying to get
more leads.”