Ex-CRPF man, wife killed in Ulhasnagar

ULHASNAGAR: An elderly couple, including a former Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official, was murdered at their residence in Ulhasnagar's Sector 21 on Friday morning. The police suspect robbery to be the motive for the murder of Govardhan Das Dhalwani (70) and his wife Kavita (65).
Deepa Dhalwani was surprised at 7.30 am her mother did not wake up her grandsons Om and Jitu to go to school, as was her routine.When Deepa went to check in the neighbouring room, she found that her parents had been murdered. She immediately alerted the neighbours and the police were informed.
S P Surve, senior police inspector of the Central police station, said, "Primary investigations show that the duo was attacked with a sharp weapon on the head and neck. The assailants ransacked the bedroom cupboards and escaped with cash and jewellery."
Surve added that it could have been the handiwork of two to three persons as though they reside in a chawl no one heard them scream for help.
Evidence and injury marks suggest that both may have fought back and tried to raise an alarm before being "silenced by the attackers". Police source said the killers may have entered through the balcony, which was open.
The two are survived by four married daughters, two of whom reside in the same neighbourhood.
Kanta, their third daughter, said, "We used to live Ajmer where my father was posted with the CRPF, but we shifted to Ulhasnagar after retirement."
She said that her father operated a grocery shop from the house and never had enmity with anybody.
The incident has shocked the neighbourhood. "It is a gruesome killing. The police should take up the case on a priority basis and solve it at the earliest. Otherwise, senior citizens in the city will feel insecure and vulnerable," said Munna Pandey, a local resident.
Sarang Awad, deputy commissioner of police, said they had registered a case of robbery and murder against unknown persons.
Incidentally, police said there was another housebreak in the area and the thieves fled with gold and cash that same morning. They said its resident, Ganesh Golani, had been admitted to hospital for a week and on the day of the incident his elderly mother was attending to him.
Police said that a case of housebreaking had been registered and they suspected it to be the handiwork of the same persons who killed the couple.