7 Deadly Sinners : FREE READ | THE WITCH AND THE DOCTOR: VIDYA JAIN MURDER CASE, 1973
THE WITCH AND THE DOCTOR: VIDYA JAIN MURDER CASE, 1973
Dr Jain was shivering in fear while describing the scene, ‘Inspector! You will not believe it! I…I saw that my wife Vidya was lying near a drain, and her whole body was covered in blood, as if some wild animal had clawed and ripped the flesh off her face! There were also claw marks in other parts of her body as well!’
‘What happened after that?’ asked Fakir Chand, the famous inspector of the Delhi Police. Sub-inspector Uday Chopra was also there with him.
‘Then I screamed so loudly that my servants came running out of my house. They were shocked to see everything. My manager Sukhlal said, “Mehsahab is perhaps still alive!”’
‘Why did Sukhlal make that comment when you were present there? And how did he conclude that your wife was still alive?’
‘Sukhlal practises Ayurveda as a hobby and he knows how to find a pulse,’ Dr Jain looked with reddened eyes, ‘I was not in my senses then, inspector!’
‘Okay, then?’
‘I didn’t waste any more time. Everyone helped to lift Vidya up in the car and then we took her to Dr S.K. Sen’s nursing home on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. But Dr Sen said that it was too late.’ Dr Jain’s voice got cracked at the end.
Inspector Fakir Chand frowned a bit. Many questions were bubbling up in his mind. If it was someone else, he would have fired those questions like bullets from a Gatling gun, but Dr Jain was a high-profile medical professional. Hence, he didn’t pester much to avoid any complications.Dr Narendra Singh Jain was the ophthalmologist of the president of India V.V. Giri. He was also honoured with the Padma Shri award. Dr Jain was so brilliant at his job that people often said, ‘He can even make the blind see!’
Fakir Chand looked at his watch. It was 10.00 p.m. The murder had taken place around 7.15 p.m. The inspector again looked at the doctor. Despite the overwhelming devastation caused by the sudden catastrophe, a close look at Dr. Jain unveiled him as a remarkably handsome individual. His attire, including the suit, trousers, tie and wristwatch, was imported. However, the imported fabric bore splatters of congealed blood at that particular moment.
Fakir Chand said, ‘Your residence and chamber are in Defense Colony. Why did you take her to Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg? As far as I know, it is at least more than 10 km away. I think the antonment hospital was quite near. Why didn’t you take her there? Also, why didn’t you call the police at once?’
‘Dr Sen is my friend. I was not thinking straight at that moment, and the first name that came to my mind was his. Then, Dr Sen himself informed the police.’ Half an hour passed, and Dr Jain’s seat was subsequently occupied by Dr Sen. His mannerisms unmistakably revealed
that he was quite angry. ‘What happened? It seems that you are quite enraged?’ Inspector Fakir Chand shot his first question towards Dr Sen. ‘Why on earth did he get me involved in all this? His wife was dead before her body was brought to the nursing home. Instead of calling the police, he got me into all this! What harassment! My nursing home is newly established, and this incident is going to have a bad impact on it’s image! He also requested me repeatedly to not call the police.
Does such a naive fear of police suit a person of his calibre?’
Fakir Chand was listening very carefully. He asked, ‘What did Dr Jain tell you exactly?’
‘On the evening of the incident, Dr Jain and his wife were preparing to attend an event in Defense Colony, hosted by their relatives. Upon returning from his office, he instructed his wife to get ready and proceeded to his study to hastily draft an essential letter. While engrossed in his writing, he sensed Vidya passing by him on her way out. A moment later, he heard a horrific scream that prompted him to dash outdoors. He saw two men fleeing from the scene.’ Sub inspector Uday Chopra was about to intervene with excitement, ‘Sir, this is a completely different statement. He—,’ but Fakir Chand stopped him midway with a gesture of his eyes. On 4 December 1973, the horrific murder of Vidya Jain took place in the esteemed locality of Defense Colony in New Delhi. When the police had a look at the body, it was evident that the killer mutilated her in a terrible fit of rage.Who could have such a rage on a housewife from a respected high-class family?
To dig deeper, we have to know the prelude of the famous Vidya Jain Murder Case of 1973.
Read more in Debarati Mukhopadhyay’s 7 Deadly Sinners. Get your copy here: Link