US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned that Iran “will be hit very hard,” adding that because of “Iran’s bad behaviour,” new targets inside the country were being considered for “complete destruction and death.”Trump also claimed credit for Tehran’s apology to its Middle Eastern neighbours following a week of intense conflict in the region triggered by joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and destroyed multiple strategic infrastructure sites. Tehran responded with retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and several Gulf states hosting US military bases, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.Posting on Truth Social, Trump said Iran had been “beat to hell” and forced to apologise after what he described as relentless attacks by the United States and Israel. He added that Tehran had pledged to stop firing at neighbouring countries and suggested the shift came because of sustained military pressure.In his post, Trump wrote, “Iran, which is being beat to HELL, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore. This promise was only made because of the relentless U.S. and Israeli attack. They were looking to take over and rule the Middle East. It is the first time that Iran has ever lost, in thousands of years, to surrounding Middle Eastern countries.”“They have said, ‘Thank you, President Trump.’ I have said, ‘You’re welcome!’ Iran is no longer the ‘Bully of the Middle East.’ They are, instead, ‘THE LOSER OF THE MIDDLE EAST,’ and will be for many decades until they surrender or, more likely, completely collapse! Today Iran will be hit very hard! Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behaviour, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.” Trump’s remarks came hours after Iran issued a rare apology to neighbouring Gulf states following missile and drone strikes that hit their territories during the escalating conflict. The attacks targeted infrastructure and bases linked to the United States and its regional allies.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised on Saturday for attacks on regional countries, even as Iranian missiles and drones continued to fly toward Gulf Arab states, signalling that Tehran’s political leadership may not have full control over the country’s armed forces. He also rejected Trump’s repeated demands for surrender.Pezeshkian, one member of a tripartite leadership council overseeing Iran since a February 28 airstrike that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivered the message exactly one week into a conflict that has spread across the region and shaken global markets.Earlier in the day, Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the 25th wave of missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli positions and other regional assets, underscoring the continuing escalation.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens during the inaugural Americas Counter Cartel Conference at U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Fla., Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Reacting to reports that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran amid the Middle East conflict, US secretary of war Pete Hegseth stated that the United States has the “best intelligence” in the world and knows “who is talking to who.”Also Read: Russia helping Iran? Moscow providing real time intelligence to Tehran on American military assets“Oh we’re tracking everything. Our commanders are aware of everything. We have the best intelligence in the world. We’re aware of who’s talking to who, why are they talking to them, how accurate that information might be. We know what’s going on,” Hegseth told CBS News’ Major Garett.Praising Donald Trump, he called the US president someone with an “incredible knack for knowing how to mitigate those things.”“The American people can be assured that their commander-in-chief is fully aware of who is talking to who. This shouldn’t be happening, whether in public or through back channels,” the secretary of war added.When asked whether Washington would ask Moscow to stop providing intelligence to Tehran, Hegseth highlighted Trump’s “unique relationship” with world leaders and brought his predecessor Joe Biden into the discussion.Also Read | After Russia’s intel support for Iran, ‘Chinese’ whispers of financial aid to Tehran? What report says“President Trump, as people have seen, has a unique relationship with a lot of world leaders, where he can get things done that other presidents, certainly Joe Biden, never could have. Messages definitely can be delivered,” he said.On whether Russia’s alleged assistance to Iran puts US troops in danger, Hegseth replied that no one is putting the Americans in danger, and it is the Americans who are putting “other guys” in danger, saying “that’s our job.”“The only people who should be worried are the Iranians who think that ‘they’re going to live,’” he concluded.Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also downplayed the report that Russia is providing Iran with targeting information about US forces in the Middle East.“It clearly is not making a difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them. We are achieving the military objectives of this operation and that is going to continue,” Leavitt told reporters.The Washington Post, citing officials familiar with the intelligence, reported that Russia has provided Iran with the locations of US military assets, including ships and aircraft.Six US service members were killed in a drone attack on a US base in Kuwait on Sunday and the CIA station in Saudi capital Riyadh has also been hit.According to The Post, China did not appear to be aiding Tehran’s defenses.Russia and China have longstanding diplomatic and trade ties with Iran, while Russia has close military links to the Islamic Republic.Both Moscow and Beijing have criticised the US-Israeli war against Iran.(With AFP inputs)

Flight operations were suspended at Dubai airport after an aerial interception during attacks from Iran.In a video, a huge plume of smoke was seen rising after an object fell near one of the airport’s terminals of the airport after the aerial interception.According to witnesses, a loud explosion was heard followed by a huge cloud of smoke. The government’s Dubai Media Office, in a social media post, said, “For the safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew, operations at Dubai International (DXB) have been temporarily suspended.”Meanwhile, the Flightradar24 tracking website earlier showed planes circling above the airport in an apparent holding pattern.Additionally, Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, also announced on Saturday that it was suspending all its flights to and from Dubai until further notice. “Please do not go to the airport,” the airline said.The Dubai government said in a post that there had been “a minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception”, which caused no injuries. It also denied “information circulating on social media regarding incidents at Dubai International Airport”, without elaborating.“The air defences of the United Arab Emirates are currently responding to missile and drone threats coming from Iran,” the Emirati Ministry of Defence said, without specifying the targets of the attacks.Hours after the incident, Dubai airport partially resumed its services. “We have partially resumed operations from today, 7 March, with some flights operating out of DXB and DWC,” it said, referring to Dubai’s main airport as well as the city’s Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport.“Please do not travel to the airport unless you have been contacted by your airline that your flight is confirmed, as schedules continue to change,” it told passengers, after an aerial interception in the area during attacks from Iran forced the airport to suspend operations.Last Saturday, four staff members were injured and a concourse was damaged at Dubai airport, as war erupted following US-Israeli strikes against Iran. Iranian attacks have also hit the upmarket Palm Jumeirah development and the Burj Al Arab luxury hotel, while drone debris caused a fire at the US consulate in Dubai on Tuesday.

The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has rapidly escalated into one of the most dangerous Middle East conflicts in years, spreading across multiple countries in less than a week. What began as a coordinated US-Israeli strike inside Iran quickly triggered retaliation from Tehran and drew in regional actors, turning the confrontation into a broader regional crisis.Washington and Tel Aviv say their joint campaign, codenamed Operation Epic Fury is designed to cripple Iran’s military infrastructure, particularly missile launchers, air-defence systems and naval assets. Israeli officials claim their forces now enjoy near-complete air superiority over Iran after thousands of strikes across the country.The conflict was sparked by a surprise attack that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, triggering retaliation from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and allied groups across the region. Within days, missiles and drones were being fired not only at Israel but also at American bases and Gulf states.

According to estimates from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury cost roughly $3.7 billion — around $891 million per day — with most of that spending outside existing US defence budgets. As the war enters its second week, attacks continue across Iran, Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf, while global markets and shipping routes have been disrupted.

Day 1: US-Israel strikes kill Iran’s Supreme Leader

The war began with a massive joint strike by the United States and Israel against targets across Iran. Air and missile attacks hit military bases, missile launch sites and strategic facilities in cities including Tehran, Isfahan and Kermanshah.One of the most dramatic developments was the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in what analysts described as a “decapitation strike” designed to cripple Iran’s leadership structure. Several senior military commanders were also reported killed in the initial attack.

According to the New York Post, the strike involved a missile fired from a fighter jet that briefly travelled to the edge of space before descending at high speed. The weapon, identified as the Blue Sparrow missile, follows a quasi-ballistic path that allows it to evade many conventional air-defence systems. Israeli officials reportedly said the strike targeted Khamenei’s guarded compound in Tehran during a meeting of senior officials. Iranian state media later confirmed the death of the 86-year-old cleric. The operation was described as the result of years of intelligence work by Israel’s Mossad and Unit 8200.

Iran quickly responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and American military facilities in the region. Air-raid sirens sounded across Israeli cities as defence systems were activated to intercept incoming projectiles.

Day 2: Iran launches major retaliation

On the second day of the conflict, Iran dramatically escalated its response with large waves of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israeli territory. Several missiles struck infrastructure sites, though many were intercepted by Israel’s air-defence systems.At the same time, the United States expanded its air campaign against Iranian military targets. Dozens of additional strikes targeted missile launchers, air-defence systems and facilities associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.Iran also began directing attacks toward American bases and allied states across the Middle East, signalling that the conflict would not remain confined to Iranian and Israeli territory.

Day 3: Hezbollah opens a northern front

The third day saw the war spread beyond Iran and Israel when the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah entered the conflict. Rockets were launched from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel, opening a new front in the war.Israel responded with heavy airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Beirut’s southern suburbs and other areas of Lebanon. Israeli officials said the strikes targeted weapons depots, command centres and infrastructure linked to the group.More than 200 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon since Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into Israel on Monday. Among the deadliest attacks were overnight airstrikes on the eastern town of Nabi Chit, where at least 16 people were killed and 35 injured, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. Officials warned the death toll could rise further as rescue efforts continue.

Day 4: Regional tensions surge across the Gulf

By the fourth day, missile and drone attacks began affecting several Gulf countries that host American military bases.Iranian projectiles were intercepted over countries including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Some missiles and drones caused damage when debris fell after interceptions.At the same time, tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime corridor for global energy supplies. Attacks on vessels and threats against shipping routes disrupted maritime traffic and raised fears of a global energy crisis.Oil markets reacted sharply as traders worried that the conflict could significantly affect global supply.

Day 5: Gulf states increasingly drawn into the conflict

On the fifth day, the war widened further as Iranian missiles and drones targeted multiple Gulf states.Air-defence systems in the United Arab Emirates intercepted dozens of projectiles over the country. Debris from interceptions caused damage in parts of Dubai, including near the international airport and coastal areas.In Bahrain, a missile struck a state-run oil refinery, triggering a fire that authorities later said was contained. Kuwait temporarily suspended operations at the US embassy after missiles and drones were detected heading toward the country.Saudi Arabia also reported intercepting drones and a cruise missile targeting military and energy infrastructure, including areas near the Ras Tanura refinery.

Day 6: Massive US-Israel strike campaign intensifies

By the sixth day, the United States and Israel dramatically intensified their military operations inside Iran.According to US military officials, hundreds of targets were struck over a 72-hour period, including ballistic missile launchers, military compounds and naval facilities. Israeli officials claimed to have destroyed roughly 80 percent of Iran’s air-defence systems.Iranian authorities said the death toll from the strikes had risen to more than 1,300 people across the country. Several cities reported heavy damage to buildings and infrastructure, including government facilities, hospitals and residential areas.Meanwhile, Iranian forces continued launching missiles toward Israeli territory, although US officials claimed the frequency of these attacks had decreased compared with the early days of the war.

Day 7: War spreads across multiple fronts

By the seventh day, the conflict had spread across much of the Middle East.Israel continued heavy bombardment of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and issued evacuation warnings for parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley. Clashes were also reported along the Lebanon-Syria border.In Iraq, drones and rockets targeted installations hosting American forces near Baghdad and in the Kurdish region around Erbil.At the same time, missile and drone attacks continued across Gulf states. Explosions were heard in Dubai and Bahrain’s capital, Manama, as air-defence systems intercepted incoming projectiles.The war has also disrupted global trade routes. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes — has slowed dramatically, with only a handful of commercial vessels navigating the waterway.As the conflict enters its second week, there is little sign of de-escalation. US President Donald Trump has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” while ruling out immediate negotiations, signalling that the war could continue to expand across the region.

Global economic and diplomatic impact

The war has triggered sharp reactions in global financial markets and energy prices. Oil prices surged amid fears that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz could limit global supply.The benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude price jumped more than 12 percent during the week, one of the largest increases in years.The crisis has also forced thousands of foreign nationals to leave the Middle East. The US State Department says roughly 20,000 Americans have already departed the region, while several countries have organised evacuation flights.Airspace closures across much of the Middle East have complicated evacuation efforts. Several commercial airlines have suspended flights, while some ships and tankers have avoided the Gulf entirely.European governments are also responding cautiously. The United Kingdom and France have deployed naval and air-defence assets to the eastern Mediterranean, while other countries have focused primarily on diplomatic pressure.gnals the war could continue to escalate.

US forces have reportedly struck more than 3,000 targets in the first week of Operation Epic Fury, as the conflict with Iran intensifies. “US forces have struck over 3,000 targets in the first week of Operation Epic Fury, and we are not slowing down,” the US Central Command said through a post on X.On Friday, US president Donald Trump also demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” marking a significant escalation in Washington’s war objectives, even as Israeli fighter jets launched a fresh wave of airstrikes on Tehran and other parts of the country.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that there “will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”Meanwhile, The Israel Defence Forces on Friday carried out fresh airstrikes on Beirut while issuing additional evacuation warnings across parts of Lebanon, intensifying its military campaign against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.The strikes are part of Israel’s expanding operations in Lebanon as regional tensions continue to escalate.According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, an estimated 300,000 people have fled their homes since the bombardment began, raising concerns about a growing humanitarian crisis in the country.In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Friday also launched another wave of drones and missiles at Israel, according to a statement reported by the Iranian state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency. Air-raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv as the Israeli military confirmed it had detected missile launches from Iran, though there were no immediate reports of major damage.Saudi Arabia and Dubai reported intercepting retaliatory strikes on Saturday morning, as Gulf nations continued efforts to defend against incoming attacks.These developments come after a week of intense volatility triggered by a joint US-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28 that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other senior officials, prompting a strong retaliatory response from Tehran.Hundreds of people have been killed in Iran since the start of the US-Israeli strikes, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, the country’s main humanitarian relief organisation.Among the dead are at least 175 people, including many children, who were killed in the bombing of a girls’ elementary school, the organisation said.The violence has also spread beyond Iran. In neighbouring Lebanon, more than 200 people have been killed, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

CHANDIGARH: In a major setback to the CBI, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Saturday acquitted Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the controversial head of Sirsa based Dera Sacha Sauda, in connection with the journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case. Division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal passed these orders while allowing the appeal of Dera Chief. The bench, however, has upheld the conviction of three other accused in this case.The operative part of the judgement was pronounced in the open court. However, the detailed copy of the judgement was not available till the filing of this case.On January 17, 2019, the special CBI court Panchkula had sentenced the self-styled godman and three others to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. They were sentenced for the 2002 murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, the editor of ‘Poora Sach’ newspaper.Aggrieved from the orders, the Dera Chief had challenged the conviction before the HC claiming that he has been falsely implicated by the CBI in this case as the first charge sheet against other accused, Nirmal, Kuldeep and Krishan Lal had already been filed and none of them had named the appellant to be involved in the conspiracy, therefore there was no other circumstance left with the CBI to introduce the overhearing of conspiracy. “It is a matter of fact that the appellant was not at all named in the first charge sheet filed by State Police in 2002. Krishan Lal was tortured by the CBI Officials. The name of the Dera chief was thereafter included as an accused by way of revenge. The eyewitness version of the conspiracy was created by senior CBI officer, M Narayanan for the present case in the form of Khatta Singh,” the counsel for Dera chief had submitted. It was also submitted that the version of Khatta Singh that the conspiracy was hatched only in his presence and that he did not disclose about the same to anyone stands falsified by the admission of IO, M Narayanan in his cross examination.Counsel further stated that the Dera chief has been convicted only by stating that he had a motive against the deceased and he nursed a grudge against the deceased as he was publishing an evening newspaper by the name ‘Poora Sach’ and had been actively reporting against Dera. “The investigating agency however, failed to prove by leading even an iota of evidence that the appellant ever read the said newspaper. As per the prosecution’s own story, the newspaper being published by the deceased was an evening newspaper and it only reported the news which had already been published by the morning newspapers. There was thus, no question of the appellant, having any grudge against the deceased,” the dera chief had submitted. The CBI, as well as the counsel representing the deceased journalist’s family had strongly opposed the Dera Chief’s plea. Finally hearing all the parties, the HC in September last year had reserved its verdict in the matter.The Dera chief is incarcerated in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail since August 2017 after he was sentenced to 20 years in jail for rapes of two female devotees.

NEW DELHI: Congress on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the recent US 30-day waiver allowing New Delhi to buy Russian oil. The attack was charged with the quote of Donald Trump’s aide Scott Bessent, who said the US had given “permission” to India to accept oil from Moscow.The largest opposition party took to X to condemn and question the diplomacy of the Modi government, saying that a country as vast as India with 1.4 billion people is “waiting for Washington’s approval”, reiterating its charge that the prime minister is “compromised”.Quoting US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, the Congress wrote on X: “Permission? For India? A country of 1.4 billion people waiting for Washington’s approval. This is the cost of a compromised Prime Minister.”“India fought for freedom so that no foreign power could dictate terms to us. Yet today, under a weak Prime Minister, the US is openly talking about giving India ‘permission’,” it added.Slamming India’s diplomacy, the party called the situation a “humiliation”. Calling on the prime minister to explain, Congress added: “Indians are not actors in someone else’s script. PM Modi, your silence on this statement is deafening. The people of India deserve an explanation.”Earlier to this, the US has said it has given “permission” to India to buy Russian oil that is already on ships at sea, in an effort to maintain global supplies during the Middle East conflict.“The world is very well supplied in oil. Yesterday, the Treasury (Department) agreed to let our allies in India start buying Russian oil that was already on the water,” US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview to Fox Business on Friday.“The Indians had been very good actors. We had asked them to stop buying sanctioned Russian oil this fall. They did. They were going to substitute it with US oil. But to ease the temporary gap of oil around the world, we have given them permission to accept the Russian oil. We may unsanction other Russian oil,” he said.Bessent added that there are hundreds of millions of sanctioned barrels of crude currently on ships. He said that by removing sanctions on these shipments, the US treasury could quickly increase supply in the market.“There are hundreds of millions of sanctioned barrels of sanctioned crude on the water, and in essence, by unsanctioning them, Treasury can create supply. And we are looking at that. We are going to keep a cadence of announcing measures to bring relief to the market during this conflict,” he said.Several other officials in the Trump administration have also said that the US has now allowed India to buy Russian oil. This comes months after President Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent punitive tariffs on India over its purchases of oil from Russia.US energy secretary Chris Wright also spoke about the move in a post on X on Friday. He said the United States is “allowing our friends in India” to take the Russian oil that is already on ships near Southern Asia, refine it and quickly move it into the market to ensure steady supply during the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran.“We have implemented short term measures to help keep oil prices down. We are allowing our friends in India to take oil that is already on ships, refine it, and move those barrels into the market quickly. A practical way to get supply flowing and ease pressure,” Wright said.In an interview to ABC News Live, Wright said global oil supplies are strong in the long term, but there is a need to quickly bring more oil into the market in the short term.

An Iranian intelligence operative has been convicted by a US federal jury for terrorism and murder-for-hire offences linked to a foiled plot to assassinate American political figures, including President Donald Trump. Prosecutors said the man was sent to the United States by Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to organise political killings and other covert operations on American soil.The US Department of Justice said Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, was found guilty of attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and arranging murder for hire. Merchant faces up to life in prison. Authorities said he travelled to the United States in April 2024 with orders from the IRGC to recruit operatives and prepare an assassination plot targeting US politicians and government officials.Attorney General Pamela Bondi said Merchant had arrived in the country intending to assassinate Trump but was stopped before any attack could take place. “This man landed on American soil hoping to kill President Trump — instead, he was met with the might of American law enforcement,” she said, adding that the Justice Department would remain vigilant in preventing terrorist attacks.According to prosecutors, Merchant had been working with the IRGC since late 2022 or early 2023 after receiving training in tradecraft and counter-surveillance techniques in Pakistan. He travelled repeatedly to Iran to meet with his handler before being tasked in 2024 with recruiting individuals in the United States to steal documents, organise protests and assassinate a senior political figure.Investigators said Merchant contacted an acquaintance in New York, Nadeem Ali, seeking help to recruit “mafia” members to carry out the plot. Instead, Ali alerted authorities and became a confidential source for law enforcement. During meetings in early June, Merchant allegedly described the assassination plan, making a finger-gun gesture to signal the killing he wanted arranged.Ali later introduced Merchant to individuals he believed were hired hitmen but who were actually undercover law enforcement officers. In meetings in New York, Merchant requested three services: stealing sensitive documents from a target’s home, staging protests at political rallies and killing a “political person.” He also conducted online searches for the locations of political rallies and sent reports on security arrangements to his IRGC handler.On June 21, 2024, Merchant paid the undercover officers $5,000 in cash as an advance for the planned assassination. He planned to leave the United States shortly afterwards and communicate with the conspirators from overseas using coded messages. Authorities arrested him on July 12, 2024, before he could depart the country.FBI Director Kash Patel said the case showed Iran’s continued efforts to target Americans. “Merchant tried to hire someone to kill a politician or a US government official, but the FBI and our partners stopped that deadly plot,” he said, adding that previous attempts by Tehran to harm US citizens on American soil had also failed.The conviction comes amid escalating tensions between Washington, Israel and Tehran during the ongoing Middle East war. Israel has carried out broad strikes on targets in Tehran while Iran has fired missiles towards Israeli territory. The conflict has widened across the region, with rockets targeting bases hosting US forces in Iraq and drone attacks reported in the Gulf. President Trump has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender”, even as oil prices surge and global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slows dramatically, raising fears that the conflict could further destabilise the region.

In a shocking Malviya Nagar incident, police found two sisters dead and their mother unconscious. Authorities suspect the mother, Sunita, killed her daughters, Radhika and Gunisha, before attempting suicide. Crushed naphthalene balls and a crepe bandage were recovered from the scene. Investigations into potential depression and domestic discord are ongoing.

NEW DELHI: Crushed naphthalene balls and a strip of crepe bandage were what police found in the Malviya Nagar flat where two sisters were found dead and their mother unconscious on Thursday. Police suspect the 50-year-old woman, Sunita, killed her daughters Radhika (33) and Gunisha (28) and then tried to die by suicide. Police suspect that Gunisha was strangled with the crepe bandage. The elder daughter, Radhika, was smothered with a pillow. Cops said they found signs of struggle that indicated smothering. “The elder daughter was a special child. She used to assist a teacher working with specially-abled children, but quit working a few years ago. The younger daughter had completed a law course,” a source said. Sources added that the mixture of naphthalene balls may have been used to sedate one of the daughters, and Sunita may have consumed it as well. “These are our suspicions. We are awaiting the post-mortem reports of the sisters and medical reports of the woman, who was receiving treatment,” the source added. Police also found cut marks on the hands of one of the daughters. When the cops entered the house through a ventilation window after breaking the glass pane, they found Sunita lying on the floor and Gunisha on a bed in a room. Sunita’s husband had left for the garment shop that he runs in south Delhi. Several family members live in the same building where Sunita and her family occupied the ground floor. A senior police officer said they suspect Sunita first killed her daughters, then attempted suicide. “We learned that the family was not social and may have been dealing with some form of depression. All angles are being investigated, including possible domestic discord,” the officer said.

Neighbours in Malviya Nagar’s F Block seemed shocked. They described the mother and daughters as well-behaved and good natured, though they mostly kept to themselves. The family had lived in the area for the last 50 years. On Friday, senior officers visited the spot and spoke to family members for over an hour. Lalit, a neighbour, said Sunita was a caring mother and accompanied her daughters whenever they went out. “They mostly kept to themselves and rarely came out of their home,” he added. The family lived in a four-storey building. Sunita’s mother-in-law lived on the second floor, and the remaining two floors were occupied by her husband’s brother and his family. Ranjana, who works in homes in the area, said the last time she spoke to Sunita, she mentioned that she wanted a house help. “She was polite.” Neighbour Ramesh Thakur (75) said that Sunita’s husband returned home around 5 pm and kept knocking on the door. No one opened it. He also went to the rear of the house, but was not successful in entering the flat. “He tried to contact key makers but came to know that the door cannot be opened by key makers. Other neighbours also came, and after half an hour, the police was contacted,” he said.