A day after a 69-year-old retired school teacher was murdered inside her Jangpura home in Southeast Delhi, police said they have identified the accused, even as they picked up three suspects for questioning on Saturday.

According to the police, the nature of the robbery suggested that the accused might have been involved in other crimes as well. “The accused, who was wearing a mask, has been identified… he is an experienced burglar… stays in fancy hotels,” said an officer.

Preeti Kumari was found dead on her bed by her daughter on Friday morning, with her hands tied and a severely injured face. She used to live alone in her ground floor Pant Nagar home, located around 100 m from a police booth.

Police suspect the attack took place between 3 am and 4 am. A phone and “significant” amount of gold jewellery was stolen from her home, they added.

According to the police, the attacker knew Preeti’s daily routine. Every morning, she made tea and stepped out to distribute it among the homeless and vagabonds in her neighbourhood before heading to a community dispensary where she volunteered.

Police have said the accused — who wore a face mask, a T-shirt and capri — allegedly waited patiently for Preeti to open the door in the early hours. There were no signs of forced entry and all other houses located on the ground floor had been found locked from outside, they added.

“Prima facie it appears that the accused entered from the side of the park located on the opposite side of the house. We have questioned over 10 people who visited the area around her house in the last 10 days,” the officer said.

“Though the CCTV camera installed on the side of Preeti’s house caught a glimpse of the accused, his full face could not be seen… money plants were dangling in front of the cameras. However, he was seen going towards a drain located on the rear side of the colony,” the officer said.

The officer added that a carpenter, who came to Preeti’s house for repairs a few days ago and a man who washed a car near her house, were among the three detained for questioning.

Pushpa Sharma (75), who had known Preeti for three decades and stayed on the ground floor of the building, said she found her house locked from outside when she woke up in the morning. “I didn’t hear any voice. When I woke up, I found the main door locked from outside. I called someone to open the door… By the time I managed to come out, the police had already arrived,” she added.