Lalita Devi Goenka’s murder, in her 10th-floor Alipore apartment, was not committed “for petty financial gains” and it was almost certainly aided by “insiders”, police said on Thursday evening.

“Circumstantial evidence points to the presence of one or more insiders in the gruesome killing,” said Peeyush Pandey, deputy commissioner of police (detective department). The 71-year-old’s head was smashed before her throat was slit some time early on Thursday.

“A crime of this nature could not have been pulled off without the involvement of some insiders. All the points of entry to the victim’s flat were shut and there is no sign of a break-in,” explained Pandey.

Officers from the detective department’s homicide wing were “surprised” after visiting the site. “It seems someone from within either committed the crime or allowed an outsider to enter Lalita Devi’s apartment,” said an official. The security staff at the main entrance of the Alipore highrise would also not have allowed any outsider to enter.

Police all but ruled out the robbery motive. “It is very difficult to believe that assailants murdered an old woman only to rob Rs 15,000, when they could easily have looted other valuables,” said the official.

According to Pandey, Lalita Devi had left her gold ornaments beside the washbasin. “She used to do that regularly while washing her hands after dinner. But the assailants did not touch those,” the deputy commissioner stated, adding that preliminary investigation suggested the involvement of “two or more assailants”.

The unanswered questions at the door of Lalita Devi’s apartment are:

If it was murder for robbery, why did the culprits not touch the gold ornaments lying next to the washbasin?

Were the ornaments kept there to mislead investigators?

An iron pipe was found in the terrace garden on the 10th floor. Who had kept it there and when?

Why were the keys to the storeroom missing?