'Bad vibes', a bat, 66 minutes of horror: Blow-by-blow account of house help's murder by doctor in South Delhi

A 50-year-old dermatologist residing in an upscale South Delhi area allegedly murdered his domestic worker on Thursday by thrashing her with a bat and knife because he thought she “brought bad energy” to the house.

Domestic workers had an argument with the police after they were not allowed to see the body. (Hindustan Times)

The accused, identified as Dr Manish Gupta, allegedly thrashed his domestic worker with a bat and stabbed her with a sharp object in his apartment in Mount Kailash, HT earlier reported. The doctor was apprehended and questioned by the police on Thursday.

During the interrogation, Gupta reportedly revealed that he wanted the victim, Meena Haldar, to be removed from her job at his house, but was upset because no one had listened to him.

“He told us that he wanted Meena to be removed from the job but his family members refused to do so. He was upset and felt bad that nobody listened to him. He also told us that he suspected that Meena was bringing bad energy to the house and this affected his son’s studies,” a senior police officer who refused to be named told HT.

“The doctor felt hurt that nobody in his family was listening to him and attacked the domestic help when he found her at the terrace,” another police officer said.

Doctor followed victim to terrace, attacked her with bat

Dr Gupta, who was staying with his wife – also a doctor – and son, admitted to the crime , citing previous arguments with family over Haldar. On Thursday morning at around 10.15 am, the accused's wife Dr Tina Gupta left for work, while Gupta and his son were in the house.

Haldar entered the house between 10.30 and 10.45 am, washed clothes and went to the terrace to dry them. Dr Gupta allegedly followed her, according to the police, and attacker her between 11.15-11.30 am. The accused hit Haldar with a bat on her head and she fell on the floor, following which he stabbed her with a knife. He then went downstairs and kept the weapon near the staircase. Police later recovered the blood-soaked weapons.

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Another resident from the building opposite to Gupta’s apartment saw the woman lying on the terrace in a pool of blood and made a PCR call.

‘She never took leaves, showed up on time’

The victim, who lived in the Prakash Mohalla area adjoining Mount Kailash and East of Kailash is survived by her husband, son Robin and daughter-in-law Saptami. Robin, who works at a shop in Nehru Place , said his mother had “worked very hard to run the house for years” when he was a child.

“She never took leaves, she always showed up on time. She always listened to them (Guptas). Why did they do this?” he said, while demanding answers. He said his mother had always praised the family, and had worked there for around 10-12 years.

More than 50-60 domestic workers gathered outside the apartment around noon and staged a protest. The workers had an argument with the police after they were not allowed to see the body. The police took the woman’s son to AIIMS to see her body.