A couple was murdered and their five-year-old daughter grievously injured allegedly by an employee at their home in Cottonpet. The incident came to light on Wednesday morning when the bodies and the injured girl were found. Police said that the victims, Pawan Sharma (45) and his wife Babita Devi (40), had arrived in the city three years ago with their daughter Priya.
They ran a small vegetarian hotel in Cottonpet which reportedly did quite well. On Wednesday the crime was uncovered when one Mr Rakesh, who had gone to the restaurant to have breakfast, grew suspicious when he saw the shutter half down at 7.45 am. He went inside and found the bodies of the couple and the injured girl on the floor. They had been brutally assaulted on the head with an iron rod.
Mr Rakesh immediately informed the security guard of a nearby ATM, Mr Ishu Kumar Rai, who alerted the police. The police recovered the bodies and a grievously injured Priya was taken to a hospital. Sources said that the couple had employed a server, one Kartik from Assam, a week back to help in the business.
In her statement to the police, Priya said that it was Kartik who had attacked her parents. The police are on the lookout for Kartik who has been absconding from Tuesday night. The ATM security guard, Mr Ishu Kumar Rai, said, “Every day they open the restaurant at 7 am and close by 11:30 pm. On Wednesday morning, a customer got suspicious when the restaurant was not opened even after 7:45. He partially opened the shutter and informed me. I rushed to the spot, and on seeing the family lying in a pool of blood, alerted the police at once.”
“We have registered a case and have taken the statements of the persons in the area and are investigating. The forensic team also visited the spot and collected necessary details. The motive of the murder is yet to be ascertained,” said the investigating officer.