NEW DELHI: An orange shirt worn by Munchun Kewat at the time of allegedly killing his wife and three young daughters in outer Delhi’s Samaypur Badli became the crucial clue that led police to arrest him from Rajasthan, a chargesheet filed before a Rohini court has stated.
Chargesheet Details
Police sources said the 250-page chargesheet attributed the murders to financial distress allegedly caused by online gambling and betting. Kewat claimed to have accumulated debts of nearly Rs 4 lakh and was unable to repay them.
He told investigators that he had contemplated ending his own life, too, but could not do so after killing them. He said he had taken the step believing that they would otherwise suffer because of the financial situation and the social consequences arising out of it. The chargesheet lists around 40 witnesses.
The Crime
On February 25, the bodies of Anita (30) and her three daughters, aged three, four and five, were found inside their one-room house. All four victims had their throats slit with a sharp-edged weapon. Kewat, a 42-year-old vegetable vendor at Azadpur Mandi, was missing and became the prime suspect.
A special investigation team was constituted by DCP Hareshwar Swami and led by SHO Shailendra Singh Jaakhar. Investigators examined footage from nearly 800 CCTV cameras and prepared a digital route map to track the suspect’s movements.
The Orange Shirt Clue
Sources said CCTV footage showed Kewat buying a knife while wearing an orange shirt. After the killings, he was again captured on camera walking away from the house in the same outfit.
Investigators tracked his movements through north Delhi, where he was seen boarding an e-rickshaw.
Police eventually traced him to Rajasthan. “He had previously worked in Chennai and Rajasthan, so teams were sent to both places. He was still wearing the same orange shirt when he was arrested,” a source said.
Motive and Events Leading to the Murder
Kewat claimed that on February 23, he received a call from Mithilesh asking for the money. An argument followed, during which Mithilesh allegedly threatened that he would keep Kewat’s wife with him and make her and the children work. Enraged by the remarks, Kewat allegedly blocked him and began planning to kill his wife.
Later that day, around 1pm, he bought the knife for Rs 90 from Azadpur Mandi and hid it at home, police were told. Despite planning to carry out the murders that night, he did not act.
On February 24, he returned home after work and spent the evening with his family. They also visited a market. His wife later told him that Mithilesh had called her. Around 11.30pm, the couple allegedly argued over their debt, after which she went to sleep with the children. Kewat remained awake through the night.
The Murders
Police sources said that at 4am on February 25, he allegedly slit his wife’s throat while she was asleep. When his eldest daughter woke up and started crying, he killed her, too, and then the two younger children. He contemplated taking his own life, but failed, and fled, sources said.
Arrest and Aftermath
Investigators said Kewat travelled to Ajmer. He slept in market yards and ate at roadside stalls while trying to avoid arrest. He also tried to locate a former associate, Suresh, for work, but was unsuccessful.
The chargesheet has been filed and the case is pending before a Rohini court. The orange shirt remains a key piece of evidence.
