A horrific crime in a Noida housing society was narrowly prevented from becoming a perfect getaway, thanks to the quick thinking of a domestic helper. A 48-year-old landlady was allegedly murdered by her tenants over unpaid rent, and the accused couple's plan to dispose of her body and flee was foiled at the last moment.
The Fatal Confrontation Over Unpaid Rent
The incident unfolded on Wednesday night in Tower F of a society located in Raj Nagar Extension. The victim, Deepshikha Sharma, had gone to collect five months of overdue rent from her tenants, Jay and Aakriti Gupta. According to police, the first visit occurred around 5:30 PM when Deepshikha was accompanied by her domestic help, Minni. The tenant, Aakriti, reportedly asked them to return later, stating her husband was not home and they needed time to arrange the money.
Determined to collect the dues, Deepshikha returned to the fifth-floor flat later in the evening, this time alone. Minni, who was finishing her work, had advised her not to go by herself. This decision proved fatal. Police stated that the confrontation turned violent when Deepshikha pressed for immediate payment. During questioning, Jay allegedly confessed that an argument escalated into a physical scuffle between his wife and the landlady.
A Gruesome Crime and a Botched Escape Plan
The violence quickly escalated to murder. Investigators said Aakriti strangled Deepshikha with a dupatta, while Jay struck her on the head with a pressure cooker taken from their kitchen. After killing her, the couple stuffed the blood-soaked body into a suitcase and concealed it inside a bed box within their apartment. Their plan was to dispose of it later and vanish.
Their escape, however, hit multiple snags. When Deepshikha did not return, a worried Minni went to check on her. Jay told her the landlady had already left. Suspicious, Minni searched the society but found no trace of her employer. Returning to the couple's flat, she noticed them hurriedly preparing to leave and spotted blood stains on the floor. Minni blocked their exit, alerted Deepshikha's husband, Umesh Sharma, and forced her way inside, where she discovered the gruesome scene and immediately called the police around 11:15 PM.
In a bizarre twist, neighbors informed police that they had seen Jay and Aakriti attempting to leave the building with a suitcase via the staircase, avoiding the lift, to board an autorickshaw. Their departure was abruptly halted by an unrelated heated argument between two families on the ground floor, which caused a commotion and forced the couple to retreat back to their flat.
Financial Distress and Ongoing Investigation
Police revealed that the accused couple was under severe financial pressure. Jay, who ran a transportation business, had suffered significant losses, compelling them to sell their house in Sanjay Nagar and move into rented accommodation. Officers added that they were struggling with daily expenses and personal health issues.
"They would have probably fled had Minni not raised the alarm," said ACP (Nandgram) Upasana Pandey, acknowledging the domestic help's crucial role. The police are now investigating whether there were previous altercations between the landlady and the tenants and are working to reconstruct the exact sequence of events leading to the killing. The prompt actions of Minni not only uncovered the crime but also prevented the perpetrators from escaping justice.
