Police seeks MEA’s help to contact family members of ‘Swiss’ woman killed in Delhi

PTI, Oct 22, 2023, 3:18 PM IST

The Delhi Police has requested the help of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in order to contact the family members of a ‘Swiss’ national who was found dead in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar.

The woman’s decomposed body with limbs tied with chains was found near a school on Friday. Police on Saturday said they have arrested a man, identified as Gurpreet Singh (30) in connection with the murder, with the accused claiming that the victim hailed from Switzerland and he had befriended her some years back through a dating app. ”Establishment of contact with the family members is very important to confirm whether the body is actually of a Swiss national as claimed by Singh.

Through DNA sampling, we will be able to confirm the identity of the body and our headquarters has requested the MEA to intervene and reach out to Swiss authorities for help,” said an official. Sources also said Singh, who was sent to four days’ police custody, is continuously changing his statements. ”We are sure that during his police remand and interrogation, he will reveal details about the case. The accused has been changing his statements. He has not shown any remorse so far. We are also trying to find out why he committed the murder in such a brutal manner,” the official said.

Police had earlier said Singh had befriended the victim some years back through a dating app, and suspected her of having affairs with other men.

A few days ago, he asked her to come to India to meet him. On October 11, she came from Switzerland to Delhi and stayed in a hotel in West Delhi. Police said three days ago, he asked her to meet him outside the hotel. ”From there he took her towards the Vishnu Garden area where he told her that he wanted to give her a surprise… And he then strangled her to death,” the police said quoting Gurpreet. He told the police he tied her hands and legs with chains and kept the body in the car. He also drove with the body in the area looking for an opportunity to dump it. When he could not do so, he parked the car near his house, but when the foul smell started emanating, he left the body near the MCD school two days after the murder.

On Saturday, he was sent to police custody for four days after being produced before the court. Police officials claimed that Rs 2.10 crore cash was recovered from his house after which the Income Tax department was also informed.