New Delhi, India — In a tragic incident unfolding in the Molarband neighborhood of southwest Delhi, a 42-year-old woman and her two daughters, ages five and 18, were discovered dead in their small apartment a day after residents reported an offensive odor. Police suspect poisoning as a preliminary examination showed all three were frothing at the mouth.
The woman, known as Pooja, had a troubled history including a stint in jail for the alleged murder of a live-in partner. The deaths come in the wake of profound personal and economic turmoil for her family. Investigations reveal that Pooja faced severe financial hardships after losing her job, compounded by the recent death of another partner and mounting rent arrears.
Residents of the tight-knit community told investigators that the family was reclusive, engaging little with neighbors. According to Satish Pal, a local, Pooja seldom interacted with anyone and mainly left her apartment to run errands. Her children also appeared infrequently in public spaces.
Prior to this tragic event, Pooja had been arrested in 2022, accused of killing her partner Rishipal Sharma with assistance from her elder son, who remains incarcerated. On her release on bail, she moved in with another man, but he too died a month ago, adding to a spiral of crises that beleaguered the family.
The police are scrutinizing Pooja’s complex personal life and financial conditions to better understand the motives behind the incident. With her younger daughter in primary school and her elder daughter recently ceasing to attend her classes, the family’s isolated lifestyle and economic strain seem to have reached a breaking point.
According to local authorities, non-payment of two months’ rent points to a grave economic struggle. Their landlord, Sanjay Jha, mentioned that the last communication with Pooja concerned an assurance about pending rent payments.
Further complicating the story is Pooja’s past entanglements. She spent two years in jail for the alleged murder of Sharma and lived through turbulent relationships, marked by various upheavals. Her 25-year-old son’s continued imprisonment adds another layer of distress to the family’s narrative.
The investigation also touched upon Pooja’s elusive early life. Her mother and sister, though they provided some insights, confessed to being distant from Pooja’s day-to-day life, with scant details about her marital life or its potential dissolution.
Neighbors like Dev Raj Pal remarked on the paradox of the family’s outward calm, noting none seemed overtly stressed in the days leading up to the tragedy. Meanwhile, a local shopkeeper recalled Pooja’s sporadic visits, where she bought essentials on credit, a testament to her dire financial condition.
As authorities work to untangle the web of personal discord and economic misfortune surrounding the family, the community remains in shock, reflecting on the silent struggles that sometimes go unnoticed within their midst. The police are expanding their inquiry, hoping to piece together a clearer picture of the factors leading to these untimely deaths.