In a chilling crime in south Delhi’s Neb Sarai, a 55-year-old man, Pramod Jha, allegedly murdered his estranged wife Kiran Jha by bludgeoning her with a hammer after disguising himself as a sadhu (monk). The incident occurred around midnight on Wednesday, but came to light hours later when neighbours discovered Kiran lying in a pool of blood.
Police received a call about the incident around 4 a.m. and rushed to the scene. CCTV footage showed Pramod leaving the residence at 12:50 a.m., shortly after the suspected time of the murder.
A preliminary probe revealed that Pramod, originally from Munger district in Bihar, had been living separately from Kiran for the past 10 years. He recently returned to Delhi on August 1. Kiran worked as a healthcare assistant and lived with her son Durgesh, daughter-in-law Kamal, and granddaughter. At the time of the crime, Durgesh, who works at a microfinance company in Darbhanga, Bihar, was out of town.
Police suspect premeditation, given Pramod’s disguise and timing. The murder weapon, a hammer, has been recovered, and a Forensic Science Laboratory team visited the crime scene to collect evidence.
Multiple police teams have been deployed across railway stations and bus terminals to track the absconding accused. The motive remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing.