An 82-year-old woman was found murdered under the staircase of her two-storey home in New Garia Cooperative Housing early on Friday morning, with her hands tied.

The woman’s 87-year-old husband was found on the floor beside his bed with his mouth tied. He survived the assault and is undergoing treatment, police said.

Bijaya Das and Prasanta Das lived alone in their F-32 home. Their son lives in Mumbai and their daughter is settled in Germany.

The police are looking for an ayah the couple had employed less than a week ago. CCTV footage shows her entering the house on Thursday morning. After that, the cameras were switched off. Bijaya’s phone, which had access to the CCTV system, is missing.

Investigators said the power supply and CCTV connection had been cut — suggesting the assailants were aware of the cameras. The last footage was recorded at 7.12am on Thursday.

Preliminary investigations point to a motive of theft. The police suspect gold bangles, earrings, and rings the couple wore are missing.

Their domestic help, Madhumita Haldar, who visits every morning, first discovered the couple. She found the rear door latched from outside and entered a dark house to find Bijaya lying lifeless at the base of the staircase and Prasanta incapacitated in his bedroom.

“Like every day, Madhumita rang the bell, but it didn’t work. She then went to the rear door, which is normally opened for her, and found it latched from outside,” said Ambikesh Mahapatra, chairperson of the cooperative’s board.

She entered through the rear door and raised the alarm. Panchasayar police station was alerted around 6.25am and officers reached the house. The couple were taken to hospital, where Bijaya was declared dead.

The couple’s daughter told this newspaper from Germany: “My mother had suffered 75 per cent burns, and my father recently had surgery. They could barely move.”

The ayah, who police have identified as a suspect, first reported for work on August 17. She was absent on August 18, 19, and 20, but returned on August 21 (Thursday). “We are looking for her,” said an officer. Sources said she is from South 24-Parganas
and was hired through an agency.

Investigators found that the couple used to order food daily. “The food delivered on Thursday was untouched on Friday morning, suggesting the incident happened before lunchtime,” an officer said.

The delivery boy from Thursday has been questioned.

Prasanta, a retired executive of Burn Standard Company Limited, is in hospital. The police said they would speak to him once his condition improves.