Former Union Minister PR Kumaramangalam's wife was reported murdered late at night at her Delhi residence on Tuesday, 6 July.
A preliminary investigation has suggested that Kitty Kumaramangalam was asphyxiated with a pillow in her house in Vasant Vihar.
Police has said that a washerman, Raju, employed by the 67-year-old woman, had broken into the house with two other accomplices at around 9 pm, when Kitty Kumaramangalam and the house help were present at the residence, news agency ANI reported.
The perpetrators, who had invaded the house with the intent of theft, had tied up the house help in a room, and subsequently murdered Kitty Kumaramangalam.
The deceased had previously served as a lawyer in the Supreme Court.
The Deputy Commissioner of South-West Delhi told ANI that the laundryman has been arrested. A bag of clothes stolen from the house has been found on Raju.
"We received the call at around 11.00 pm. After which teams were formed. Some briefcases were found open at the scene of the crime. Police have picked up the accused – Raju (24) – from his residence in Bhanwar Singh Camp in Vasant Vihar. He has revealed two other names," the police officer was quoted as saying by ANI.
The police is on the lookout for the other two accused, Suraj and Rakesh, who appear to have absconded.
The house help, who had been tied up by the robbers, was taken to the Safdarjung Hospital.
Who Was PR Kumaramangalam?
Phanindranath Rangarajan Kumaramangalam had served as the Member of Parliament from the Salem constituency of Tamil Nadu from 1984-1986, and that of the Tiruchirapalli constituency from 1998-2000.
Initially a member of the Congress party, Kumaramangalam had later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During his tenure with the Congress government, the politician had served as the Minister of State for Law, Justice and Company Affairs from 1991-1993, when PV Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister.
Later, as part of the BJP, Kumaramangalam had served as the Union Minister of Power in the Vajpayee-led government from 1998-2000.
The late politician's son, Mohan Kumaramangalam, holds the position of the Working President in the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.
(With inputs from ANI)
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