Investigators probing the murder of a Delhi University professor, who was found dead at her apartment in Vasundhara Enclave, suspect it could be a case of “friendly entry”, officials said.
A police officer said initial investigation suggests that the victim, Devosmita Paul, could have been killed by a close associate as clear signs of robbery of forced entry were found in her flat.
Given the gravity of the case, teams from the Special Staff, AATS and Crime Branch, along with the local police, have been engaged in the probe. The police are examining CCTV footages, forensic evidence and the activities of people in contact with the professor.
In the hours leading up to her death, the 43-year-old woman had reportedly sent medicines to her mother, her family told the police. She also had a promotion interview scheduled for Thursday, but did not turn up, according to a colleague who worked in the same college.
Senior police officers said the woman worked as an ad hoc professor at another DU college before being appointed as an assistant professor at Shivaji College located in Raja Garden in 2023. According to the police, the victim had separated from her Bengaluru-based husband, with divorce proceedings ongoing for the last four years.
Officers said a PCR call was received around 2:35 pm on Thursday from Devosmita’s sister who alerted the police about the body inside her flat.
According to the police, the caller, Devarati Paul, had been trying to get in touch with her sister since morning, but in vain. Devarati told the police that her sister’s flat was locked from the outside. Suspecting something wrong, Devarati broke the lock and found her sister’s body inside, the police said.
Investigators suspect that the victim, who was hit with a blunt object, sustained fatal injuries on the head. The police said the exact cause and timing of the death will be ascertained after the post-mortem report.
No valuables have been reported missing so far, they said, adding that investigators have not found any clue hinting at robbery either.
Meanwhile, the police suspect the role of four unidentified suspects, including a cab driver, a masked man and a masked woman. Sources said the man and the woman reached the society in the cab. They remained inside the house for 30 minutes. They changed clothes before leaving the spot.
A scholar of English literature, Devosmita Paul dedicated much of her professional life to teaching, research, and mentoring students.
She completed her undergraduate studies at Maharaja Agrasen College before pursuing a postgraduate degree from Barkatullah University. She later earned both her MPhil and PhD in English from Jamia Millia Islamia, establishing herself as a researcher in literary and cultural studies.
Over the years, Paul became a familiar figure in Delhi University’s academic community. As a faculty member at Shivaji College, she taught English literature and contributed to departmental activities, research initiatives, and student development. Colleagues and students knew her as an educator deeply engaged with literature and its relationship with society and history.
Her research interests included literary criticism, cultural studies, and the study of memory and identity through literature. Most recently, she was associated with a University of Delhi-funded research project titled “Revisiting Partition through Art and Literature,” which examined how the Partition of India continues to be represented and understood through creative works.
