Elderly couple attacked in Rohini park; woman dead

New Delhi: A 59-year-old woman was brutally murdered while she was on an evening walk with her husband in a park at Prashant Vihar, Rohini in northwest Delhi on Sunday . The attackers slit the throats of the

couple

and left them bleeding on a park bench. Her husband, a businessman, was also stabbed several times in his stomach and is battling for life in the ICU of a hospital.

Police have ruled out the possibility of a robbery attempt gone awry as the couple's valuables were found intact. They suspect personal rivalry for the attack.

Around 9pm on Sunday ,a woman, who was also on an evening walk at the Children's Park in Sector 13, Rohini, found the bleeding couple and alerted the guards of a private hospital across the road. The woman, Kanchan Bhutani, was declared dead on arrival, while her husband, Kulbushan Bhutani, was admitted to the ICU. The hospital authorities called the cops who informed the couple's son Mayank.

The couple had gone for a walk after their family members left to watch a movie. Neighbours said this was the first time they had seen the Bhutanis go for an evening walk. A neighbour, Brahm Singh, said Bhutani owned a factory manufacturing electric cables at Badli. He also owned a two-floor house in Luxmi Apartment Complex. Mayank assisted in the business.

Bhutani had retired from the railways and was a social activist. “He was also the executive member of the senior citizens' forum in the locality and had been advocating for their safety . In fact, the park was developed as a safe zone for senior citizens,“ said Ramveer, a retired Delhi Police officer known to the family .

CCTV footage recovered from the area showed the couple leaving their house around 6pm and walking to a juice shop. They reached the park around 7pm and took a few rounds on the pathway and then sat down on a bench where they were attacked from behind. The bench was not in a well-lit area and the attacker could have sneaked up behind them and slit their throats, police said.

Doctors said that the couple had three deep slit marks on their throats. Bhutani also had two stab wounds on his abdomen. He has been kept under observation for the next 48 hours. Cops said the nature of injuries suggests that the attacker used a heavy knife, like a khukri.

The area has three apartment complexes and a prominent private hospital. It is monitored by 20 CCTV cameras.Police said no suspicious movements have been captured by any of them. Footages of more than 100 hours have been scanned to identify the killers.

Seven people, including the two security guards at the park, have been detained for questioning. Bhutani's call records are also being scanned.Sources said the guards had left by the time the incident occurred as their duty hours are from 9am to 5pm.

“We have registered a case of murder. The involvement of a relative or a person known to the couple has also not been ruled out,“ said DCP (outer) Vikramjit Singh.