Workers who stabbed employers in Ghaziabad arrested

During interrogation, the arrested couple — Asmit Kumar, 23, and his wife Kavya, 22 — said that the contractor who hired them for the victims’ house work had paid them less, prompting them to visit the latter

Police on Friday arrested the mason couple who allegedly stabbed and looted a 55-year-old man and his wife at their house in Indirapuram over a financial dispute on Thursday, officers said.

Police outside the house of the victim couple in Ghaziabad on Thursday. (Sakib Ali /HT PHOTO)

The suspects, who had fled after the incident with cash and jewellery worth ₹7 lakh, were booked for attempt to murder and robbery, police added.

During interrogation, the arrested couple — Asmit Kumar, 23, and his wife Kavya, 22 — said that the contractor who hired them for the victims’ house work had paid them less, prompting them to visit the latter. The arrested duo are residents of Khoda Colony and originally belong to Ballia district, police said.

“The two suspects were arrested from Indirapuram. They told that the contractor had paid them less for the work at the victims’ house due to which they visited the victim couple on Thursday. Asmit also wanted the couple to employ his wife as a domestic help,” said Vivek Chandra Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (DCP – trans Hindon).

The duo was hired by contractor Sri Ram to fix leakage of about 20 days ago at the victims’ house in Abhay Khand I. On Thursday, they visited Ravikant Sharma and his 53-year-old wife Geeta Sharma at around 1.30pm when they were alone at the house. Following a disagreement over a previous payment, Kumar hit Ravikant Sharma on his with a hammer, and then stabbed the two in the abdomen with a knife kept at the house.

“After injuring the couple, Kumar looted ₹83,000 cash and gold and silver jewellery worth about ₹6 lakh, and fled after locking the house from outside,” the officer said. Sharma and his wife then called their neighbours, who rescued them.

The injured couple was undergoing treatment and their condition was said to be stable. Police have also recovered the looted cash and valuables, the DCP said.