91-year-old woman ‘smothered’ at central Kolkata high-rise; former driver detained – Times of India

KOLKATA: A 91-year-old woman was found dead — with blood oozing from her nose — by her son in the bedroom at her ninth-floor apartment in the 11-storied Ganga Jamuna Apartments on Shakespeare Sarani on Tuesday morning. Renuka Chowdhury was declared dead when her son Abhay took her to SSKM Hospital. Preliminary post-mortem report said she had died due to smothering around midnight.
Joint CP (Crime) Murlidhar Sharma confirmed the post-mortem findings and added: “Necessary probe is on”.

DCP (South) Akash Magharia said all angles were being probed given the fact that the victim was found bleeding. Later in the day, cops detained Doodhkumar Dhal, a former driver of the family, from Dankuni.
Abhay, in his statement to police, said he found the death suspicious due to the bleeding and mentioned that his mother’s bedroom door was open. Police sources also said that a few valuables belonging to the victim and a mobile phone were missing from the bedroom.
Several people who work in the building are being questioned. Police have also sought a detailed opinion of forensic experts on the likely reason that may have led to the smothering.
According to police sources, Renuka lived with her son Abhay — a chartered accountant — in this apartment. A full-time servant-cum-attendant stays with them and sleeps at the servant quarters. Other family members, including Abhay’s brother, are settled in the US. At the time the incident was reported, the attendant was reportedly sleeping in the servant quarters. “It was around 5.45am that Abhay, who is also an office-bearer of the apartment residents’ association, had gone up to the terrace to play badminton and complete his daily exercises. When he came down, he went to check on his mother as usual,” said an investigating officer.
“I went to play on the terrace. I came back around 7.30am and called out for my mother. Mother was alone in the house and I was not getting any response. Worried, I went to her room and found her lying there. Blood was oozing out through the nose. It looks like someone from outside had entered the house,” Abhay alleged.
“There was no forced entry into the house,” said a detective department officer. The apartment is under CCTV surveillance. The police have seized CCTV footage.
“There are two people who were seen moving on the ninth floor at night. These two had stayed on the floor slightly longer than usual. One among them is a driver, who is also an old-timer in the building,” an officer said, refusing to say anything on the other person.
The residents of the apartment did not talk to media. Reporters were stopped outside the main gate by the police.
DCP Magharia, DCP (DD-Special) Debasmita Das, joint commissioner Sharma, along with Shakespeare Sarani police, the homicide squad and forensic teams are investigating the incident.