A gruesome murder on Diwali morning has left residents of Sector 40 in shock after a man allegedly slit his mother’s throat with a knife before fleeing the scene.
The deceased, identified as Sushila Negi, originally from Barso Bhatoli village in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, lived in Sector 40 with her younger son, Ravi, an employee of the Examination Branch at Panjab University. Police said the accused, believed to be mentally disturbed, attacked his mother following an argument early Monday morning.
Neighbours reported hearing Sushila’s screams around 7 am but were unable to enter the house as the door was locked from inside. They eventually climbed in through the roof and found her lying in a pool of blood, her throat slit. By the time they entered, the accused had already escaped.
Police were informed immediately and arrived at the scene to take possession of the body. Forensic teams collected samples and evidence from the site, while the body was sent for postmortem.
According to police officials, Ravi had been mentally unstable for some time and often quarreled with his family. His wife and daughter had been living separately due to domestic disputes. “Preliminary investigation suggests the accused had an argument with his mother before the incident. He attacked her with a knife and fled,” an officer said.
The accused’s elder brother, who lives in Sector 41, rushed to the scene upon learning of the tragedy. Family members said Ravi had been behaving erratically in recent months but no one imagined he would turn violent.
Residents described the murder as horrifying. “There was blood everywhere in the drawing room. It was difficult to believe Ravi could do this,” said one neighbor. The local councillor was informed, who then alerted the police station.
Police teams are now conducting searches to trace the accused. Investigators are also questioning family members to determine the motive behind the brutal act. “We are gathering all possible evidence and trying to locate the suspect,” police said.
"Sushila was a polite and helpful woman. The motive behind the killing remains unclear, but police suspect a sudden outburst during a heated argument led to the crime", said Ramesh, a neighbour.