A Delhi man burdened by gambling debts was arrested in Rajasthan after allegedly murdering his wife and three young daughters in a gruesome crime that has shocked the nation.
Key Points
- A Delhi man, Munchun Kewat, has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife and three young daughters.
- The murders were reportedly triggered by mounting debt from gambling and cricket betting.
- Kewat was apprehended in Rajasthan after a 72-hour multi-state manhunt.
- Police used CCTV footage and facial recognition technology to track the accused.
- The accused confessed to the crime, citing financial pressure and threats from lenders.
A 42-year-old habitual gambler allegedly killed his wife and three minor daughters by slitting their throats at their home in outer north Delhi's Siraspur area before fleeing to Rajasthan, police said on Sunday, adding that he was arrested after a 72-hour multi-state manhunt.
The accused, identified as Munchun Kewat alias Ashish, is a vegetable seller at Azadpur Mandi. He was in debt and had a quarrel with his wife over the issue before the murders. He was apprehended from Kishangarh in Ajmer district of Rajasthan.
The bodies of Anita (30) and her three daughters -- aged three, four and five years -- were found inside their one-room house in Chandan Park, Siraspur, on February 25. All four had their throats slit with a sharp-edged weapon. A PCR call was received in the morning, following which a police team from Samaypur Badli police station reached the spot.
Kewat was found missing from the house and immediately emerged as the prime suspect. An FIR under section 103(1) (Murder) of the BNS was registered.
Investigation and Arrest
Investigators analysed footage from over 800 CCTV cameras and used Facial Recognition System (FRS) technology to trace the movements of the accused. Teams were dispatched to Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. After technical surveillance indicated he had boarded a train towards Ajmer, he was intercepted in Kishangarh.
Confession and Motive
During interrogation, Kewat allegedly confessed to the crime, citing mounting debt and pressure from lenders as the trigger. The police said he had borrowed around Rs 2 lakh from his in-laws in recent months, of which Rs 60,000 was used to repay a lender identified as Mithilesh, Rs 40,000 to a ginger supplier, while the remaining amount was lost in cricket betting and gambling, both online and offline.
The police said on February 23, the accused had a heated argument with Mithilesh over the money, "during which threats were allegedly issued". Enraged, he purchased a knife used for cutting jackfruit for Rs 90 from the market (mandi) and hid it at home. In the early hours of February 25, at around 4 am, he allegedly slit his wife's throat while she was asleep. When his eldest daughter woke up and began crying, he killed her as well, followed by the two younger children.
He allegedly attempted to kill himself but fled instead. After the murders, he briefly returned to the mandi, slept in the market yard and survived on roadside food before escaping to Ajmer, police said.
Accused's Background
Kewat, a native of Patna in Bihar, had previously been found involved in a theft case registered at PS Adarsh Nagar in 2025. He had also worked in Chennai and Ajmer as a labourer engaged in loading and unloading work.
The weapon used in the crime is yet to be recovered. The accused is in police custody and further investigation is underway, the police added.
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