Back from work, mom finds teen’s body in living room

Sanchit Sachdeva’s mother Preeti, who works with the Information and Broadcasting ministry, found the body when she returned from work after 5 pm.

A police source said the family’s driver is missing, though they did not want to deduce further. The source said some neighbours have said they saw the driver park the family car — a Zen Estillo — outside the house in the afternoon.

The only noticeable thing missing is the car, DCP (South) H G S Dhaliwal said.

Police officials said the assailant made a “friendly entry” — the door lock was not broken or tampered with.

Sachdeva, 17, was a student of Delhi Police Public School, Safdarjung Enclave, and took his Class XII Board examinations this year. He was preparing for the IIT entrance exams.

Neighbours said Sachdeva was good in academics and was also part of his school football team. DCP (South) H G S Dhaliwal said: “The boy’s parents have said no specific item of importance is missing as of now. If ransacking took place, it is yet to be detected. The family’s car is the only thing missing.”

Last trace: 12.30 pm
The police said the teenager last spoke with his father R K Sachdeva at 12.30 pm. The father works as a personal assistant of a senior officer in Bharat Petroleum.

At 5.15 pm, Preeti Sachdeva arrived home. Finding the main door unlocked, she walked in, went to the living room, and found his body slouched on the floor.

She called the Police Control Room and rushed him to AIIMS. But doctors there declared him dead on arrival.

DCP Dhaliwal said though there was injury on the head, it does not look like he was attacked with any weapon. A police official said blood was all over the wall, which has led the police to believe that the assailant smashed Sachdeva’s head against the wall. Fatally.

Police said he died of excessive bleeding.

The police have also recovered two plates from the dining room and police suspect the teenager and his assailant had food before the murder. This gives rise to suspicion that the boy knew the assailant, and also that it was a pre-planned murder, police officials said.

Neighbours have told police that they did not hear any cries at the time Sachdeva was likely to have been murdered. “We just heard his mother’s screams after 5 pm,” neighbour Ashish Tyagi said.

The family had moved into the Lodhi Colony residence from Sarojini Nagar recently after the IB ministry allotted the accommodation to Preeti Sachdeva.