New Delhi: A day after the double murder at Tara Apartments in south Delhi, its residents remained in shock. With police personnel deployed outside the homes of the two families involved, the complex bore a different look on Saturday — something that residents never expected to see there.Requesting anonymity, a neighbour, who lives in the building adjacent to the Soods and opposite the Siddiquis, said, “I moved here recently because this society is perceived as safe. Most residents are well-established and respectable.” Other residents also pointed out that neighbourhood disputes and arguments were fairly uncommon in the locality.Ghanshyam, a 53-year-old guard, said, “I have been working here for 13 years and never seen anything like this. I heard people shouting and rushed there to find Karanji lying unconscious with a deep stab wound on the back of his head. His father was also bleeding and being brought down by the nephew.” Another guard added that Rakesh was seated nearby until he was taken to hospital.The Soods live in block O, while the Siddiquis reside in block F, located diagonally opposite. The buildings in the society are arranged around a central garden patch with benches, with cars parked along the periphery. The attack took place on the open staircase leading to the Soods’ residence, a few feet above the ground level. The spot was guarded by police on Saturday.A woman, standing outside the park with her child, said, “We have lived here for many years and never imagined something like this. If there was a dispute between them, this incident shows how personal conflicts can spiral.” A 55-year-old resident who knows the Soods closely said, “You choose a gated society for a sense of security, but if something like this happens from within, who do we hold responsible?”Located in south Delhi, adjacent to CR Park, Greater Kailash II and Kalkaji, the apartment complex on Alaknanda Road has six gates, of which only two — gates 4 and 5 — are operational. Gate 6 is occasionally opened for vehicles. Guards are deployed at each of these gates, with barriers for incoming vehicles as well.The complex, with around 160 flats, is divided into several wings, with each building named as a block. A guard, who has worked there for several decades, said, “CCTV cameras are installed in every nook and corner here by Delhi Police. They are all functional and accessible.” Several CCTV cameras were spotted by TOI near the crime scene as well.
