New Delhi: An elderly Sikh couple was strangled by an attendant, hired three days ago, in Northwest Delhi’s Kohat Enclave in Netaji Subhash Place area, a police official said on Tuesday. 

The caregiver, who allegedly committed the gruesome double murder for stealing the valuables, is on the run.

Mohinder Singh, who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease, and his wife Diljit Kaur, both around 70, were found strangled with a rubber water pipe in two separate rooms on the second floor of their ransacked house in the gated colony, said an official.

The colony CCTV footage has shown that the attendant left the house at 5.30 a.m. carrying a backpack that the cops suspect contained the looted valuables and cash.

The family was affluent as it was engaged in the garments business, said a relative of the family.

He said that the gold bangles that Diljit Kaur used to wear at all times were also missing, and there were injury marks on her head.

The bodies were found around 10 a.m. on Tuesday by the victims’ daughter-in-law, who lives in another building nearby, when she went to enquire about their well-being, the police said.

The driver of the couple had approached her stating that nobody was opening the door of the house despite him ringing the bell multiple times.

A family member stated that police found two decayed bodies, raising suspicion that the murders may have taken place on Sunday night.

Chanpreet Singh, the victim’s son, said that they had hired a new night attendant for his father, who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

“The new attendant had been recommended by an earlier worker, referred by Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, who had performed the duties two months earlier, before taking a break,” he said.

The police said the almirahs in the house were found broken open, and some of the bags had also been cut open.

“The family members are yet to assess the value of stolen items,” said an official.

Victim Mohinder Singh’s brother said that the attendant used to sleep in the same room with his brother and his sister-in-law used to sleep in a separate room.

“We saw that the attendant’s bed was in my brother’s room, indicating that the incident may have taken place after all had gone to sleep,” he said, raising concern over deteriorating security in Delhi. IANS