The killing of Lila Deb in her Lake Gardens apartment on Tuesday afternoon was the act of more than one male assassin.

This was what sleuths concluded on Wednesday, more than 24 hours after the 87-year-old was murdered.

?The nature of wounds on the victim?s body suggests she was attacked by more than one man. Now, we are trying to verify who helped them enter the flat,? said Peeyush Pandey, deputy commissioner of police (detective department).

Police have detained the domestics of both the victim and her tenant. ?We are interrogating them thoroughly, as they must have some knowledge about the assassins,? stated Pandey.

Sleuths working on the case first detained Swapna Naskar, the victim?s domestic help, from her residence near Gobindapur rail gate of South 24-Parganas.

Then, Debala Mandal, the domestic help of Deb?s tenant S. Khaitan, was picked up.

?Swapna had told Lila Deb on Monday that she would take a two-day leave from Tuesday. This raised our suspicion,? said an official working on the case.

As for the valuables missing from the apartment, Pandey said: ?So far, the miscreants appear to have robbed only a gold chain and bangles? We are waiting for the victim?s sons to arrive from Chicago.?

Pandey has appealed to Calcuttans ? especially senior citizens ? to send photographs of their domestics to the local police station to help curb such crimes.