Delhi ‘baba’ under police scanner after three found dead in car on flyover

A day after three people were found dead inside a parked car on the Peeragarhi flyover in outer Delhi, police on Monday said they had questioned a “baba” as part of their investigation and found preliminary evidence suggesting the deaths may be linked to poisoning.

The bodies of two men — a 76-year-old found in the driver’s seat and a 47-year-old property dealer in the front passenger seat — along with a 40-year-old woman seated in the back, were discovered inside a white Tata Tigor around 3.50 pm on Sunday. Motorists alerted police after spotting the car parked in the service lane of the flyover.

The vehicle belonged to the elderly man, and police said both men were residents of Baprola village and knew each other. Initially, investigators were unable to establish the woman’s connection to them. On Monday, senior officers said the woman, a resident of Jahangirpuri, worked as a caregiver in west Delhi and was acquainted with the younger man.

Police said they have questioned five people so far, including a baba whom the trio allegedly met on the morning of the incident. “They met a baba before the incident. We are not sure if he sat inside the car. He was not present at the crime scene,” an officer said.

There were no visible external injuries or signs of struggle, prompting police to suspect death by poisoning. While post-mortem reports are awaited, investigators recovered a plastic bottle and glasses containing traces of poison from the car. A preliminary medical examination indicated the victims died after ingesting poison, an officer said.

Several questions remain unanswered, including the exact sequence of events and the motive behind the deaths. Police said the car remained parked at the spot for nearly five hours, during which no one was seen approaching it.

“We are probing both suicide and foul play angles,” a senior officer said. “Nothing has been ruled out yet.” Another officer added that investigators are also examining allegations of extortion and blackmail.

Police have questioned family members, neighbours and employees of the two men, but said they have yet to uncover a clear motive.

The families of both men have rejected the suicide theory and alleged foul play. The daughter of the 76-year-old told HT that there were no financial or family problems. “Everything was normal that day. My father would never take his own life,” she said.

The brother of the 47-year-old, the sole breadwinner for a family of five, also alleged murder. “I am sure someone killed my brother,” he said.