A day after three members of a family were murdered in south Delhi’s Deoli village, investigators recovered “the murder weapon, a knife” and a “blood-soaked shirt”.
Early on Wednesday morning, 20-year-old state-level boxer Arjun Tanwar allegedly beheaded his family – father, ex-armyman Rajesh Kumar Tanwar (51), mother Komal (46) and sister Kavita (23). Arjun, who called the PCR, confessed to the crime during interrogation, police said.
Then the police arrested him on Wednesday afternoon.
The police claimed that there were blood stains on the keys of the house and the keys of the motorcycle in his (Arjun’s) possession. The recovery of the alleged murder weapon and a blood-stained jersey strengthened the case.
“A sweatshirt was recovered from Sanjay’s van. He (Arjun) changed his clothes after the killing and threw his sweatshirt in the bush,” said a police officer. “The knife he used is two to three inches bigger than a kitchen knife. We think it is a knife that his (Arjun’s) father got when he was serving in the Army. He also threw this knife at Sanjay Bhan.” This sprawling city forest is about 8 km from the crime scene.
The police claimed that Arjun had a strained relationship with his family and that they had given priority to his sister over him and were about to transfer the family property in her name. The police also said that Rajesh had beaten up Arjun in front of his relatives some time ago and there was a big fight between the family at his sister’s birthday party on December 1.
The police claimed that this was the reason for the crime.
‘There is no dispute between father and son’
In Neb Sarai’s Deoli village, where the Tanwars have been living in two-storied houses for the past 10 years, it was shocking to see the concrete houses stuck together in the narrow lanes.
A neighbor who works as a driver at a neighboring Sainik Farm bungalow said he knew him well. “I have known them for a decade. He (Rajesh) used to work as a PSO in Sainik Farm. He was always soft spoken. His children were also good. I have never seen them fight in public. I never saw or heard the boy (Arjun) fighting with anyone. He said.
Rajesh’s uncle Subey Singh, who came to the village from Kapasera after learning about the murder, is suspicious. “There was no dispute between Rajesh and his son. He was very proud that the boy won the silver medal. He always used to say that he will play in Arjuna National.
“Whenever I would meet Rajesh, he would tell me how Arjun was practicing. There was never any tension between them. We are shocked.”
He also questioned the property dispute: “Rajesh did not have much except the house. His land in Mahendragarh is still in his mother’s name,” said Singh.