An elderly couple was killed after a fire broke out at their residence in west Delhi’s Moti Nagar in the early hours of Friday, the police said.
The deceased have been identified as fruit chaat vendor Chiddan Lal Gupta (70) and his wife Laxmi (60). Their tenant Vinay sustained burns while trying to save them.
The police suspect the couple’s 40-year-old son Santosh Gupta of setting the house on fire. They said the suspect, who the family claims is mentally unfit, is absconding.
Neighbours of the deceased said the accused had fought with the couple on Thursday evening but they did not intervene because it was a “daily affair”.
“He [Santosh] fought with them almost everyday. He would ask them for ₹100-₹200. When they refused, he would beat them,” said the couple’s a 41-year-old neighbour Premlata.
The family of the deceased and locals suspect that Santosh set the house on fire, locked the door from outside and fled.
“When the fire started spreading around 3 a.m., the tenant, who lives in the same house, rushed to help the couple. The elderly man came out but then went inside to get his wife because she could not walk properly. The couple then got stuck,” said Ms. Premlata.
The couple’s daughter Neeru Gupta claimed Santosh had set a part of the house on fire a month ago.
“He set things on fire often. He used an inflammable liquid in a red bottle. A month ago when our father refused to give him money, he set the groceries on fire in the kitchen sink,” she said.
The couple’s daughter-in-law Bubli Gupta said her in-laws had approached the police several times in the past but their love for Santosh never allowed them to lodge a formal complaint.
“He [Santosh] used to beat them mercilessly. They had called the police several times, but mummy [Laxmi] would later decide not to send him to jail,” she said.
Neeru Gupta said she regretted not taking her parents with her when she had visited them last Sunday. She said she had asked them to shift in with her in Sangam Vihar but they did not want to leave their house.
The family said Santosh was being treated at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital but had not been taking medicines since the past six months.
“He was not into drugs or alcohol. He would just demand money to eat. As for his mental condition, we never understood what the issue was,” Ms. Bubli Gupta said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vijay Kumar said a case under Sections 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been filed against Santosh.
