Kitty Kumaramangalam, Supreme Court lawyer and the wife of former Union minister P Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, was found murdered at her home in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Vihar on Tuesday night, police said. She was 67 years old.
The police said they suspect attempted robbery to be the motive behind the killing and have apprehended a 24-year-old washerman of the area, identified as Raju Lakhan, in connection with the case. Based on preliminary investigation, it is suspected that the washerman had come to the house around 9 pm on Tuesday night, and when the domestic worker opened the door, he allegedly overpowered her, dragged her to a room and restrained her, police said.
In the meantime, two other men entered, overpowered deceased Kitty Kumaramangalam and smothered her using a pillow, following which they fled, a police official said.
The househelp later managed to untie herself and raise an alarm. A policeman said that they received the call around 11 pm. Team were formed and the ‘dhobi’ was nabbed. An official added that briefcases were seen open at the scene of crime. An hunt is on for the remaining accused.
DCP Singh said they have recovered a bag of stolen clothes from Lakhan. “We are checking what was stolen from the house. The other two men also took two bags with them.”
Kitty Kumaramangalam lived alone on the second floor. Police said they have informed her son in Bengaluru. Her husband PR Kumaramangalam was a minister in the National Democratic Alliance government between 1998 and 2001.
Between January 1 and June 15, 2021, Delhi has reported 196 murders.
