DU Assistant Professor Found Dead Inside Flat Locked From the Outside; Known Killer Suspected

A baffling murder investigation is underway in east Delhi after a 49-year-old Delhi University assistant professor was discovered dead inside her Vasundhara Enclave apartment. The victim, Devosmita Paul, who taught at Shivaji College, lived by herself in the flat following a separation from her husband, with whom she had been undergoing divorce proceedings for the last four years.

The grim discovery was made on Thursday afternoon by the victim's sister, Devarati Paul. Concerned after her morning phone calls went unanswered, Devarati traveled to the apartment only to find the front door locked from the outside. Sensing danger, she broke the lock and entered the flat, where she found her sister's body on the floor. She immediately contacted the authorities around 2:35 PM to report the murder, prompting an urgent response from the New Ashok Nagar police station.

Investigators and forensic teams who combed the crime scene face a complex puzzle, primarily centered on how the apartment came to be locked from the outside with the victim inside.

Investigators noted that the apartment showed no signs of forced entry, a detail that strongly points toward the killer being someone familiar to the victim. However, the physical evidence indicates a violent encounter; Paul suffered a severe head injury, sustained cuts to both of her wrists, and bore bruises across her face and body that suggest she fought back against her attacker.

Delhi: A Delhi University assistant professor, Debosmita Paul, was allegedly murdered in Satyam Enclave, East Delhi. She was found dead after being struck on the head with a heavy object. She was living separately from her husband, who resides in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/t9eaW7MmWJ

— IANS (@ians_india) June 4, 2026

As the crime branch and forensic experts analyze collected samples, photographs, and video footage to reconstruct the timeline of events, family members have provided small details about her final hours, noting that she had arranged to send medicine to her mother shortly before her life was cut short.

Paul had recently secured a permanent position at the Raja Garden-based college in 2023, having previously worked within the university system as an ad hoc professor. Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Rajeev Kumar stated that all potential leads are currently being explored to identify the perpetrator and determine the motive behind the brutal attack.