A Delhi court on Friday remanded a 50-year-old dermatologist to two days of police custody for allegedly murdering his domestic help at his upscale south Delhi residence. The accused, Dr Manish Gupta, has reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation.
Court Proceedings
Judicial Magistrate Anurag Chhabra granted the Delhi Police's request for two-day custody of the accused after hearing their plea. Police argued that custody was necessary to investigate potential involvement of others and uncover new facts in the case.
Opposing the plea, the defense counsel stated that the accused had been in police custody for the past 24 hours. “Everything has been seized by the police; he has been in police custody for the last 24 hours. He is already suffering from depression, and he is a well-reputed doctor,” he argued.
The Incident
According to police, Dr Gupta allegedly killed his domestic help, Meena, at his Mount Kailash residence on Thursday morning. He is accused of bludgeoning her with a cricket bat and stabbing her multiple times. The doctor allegedly suspected her of practicing black magic and held her responsible for persistent discord in his family.
Police received a PCR call at around 11:36 am from a resident who reported a woman murdered on the terrace of a neighboring building, lying in a pool of blood. The accused was immediately apprehended and taken into custody. During preliminary questioning, he allegedly admitted to first assaulting Meena with a bat and then stabbing her with a knife. Police have seized both the bat and the knife from the scene.
Motive and Background
Investigators said the accused claimed during questioning that he believed Meena practiced black magic and that her presence in the house had disturbed peace within the family. According to sources, the doctor had wanted to remove Meena from employment for the past two to three years, but his wife opposed the move, which reportedly became a recurring source of tension.
Police are also examining whether prolonged domestic disputes, marital discord, and the accused's mental health condition may have played a role in the killing. The accused was undergoing treatment for depression and was on antidepressant medication. Police are verifying his medical history and consulting family members.
The accused's wife is also a doctor and works as an Ayurvedic dermatologist, while their son, aged around 20, recently passed class 12, sources said.
Ongoing Investigation
Police are trying to determine whether any argument took place before the murder and whether other family members were present in the house at the time. According to locals and domestic workers, screams were heard from the terrace shortly before the incident came to light.
