New Delhi: For residents of F-Block in Lajpat Nagar, Ruchika Sewani’s name conjures up the image of a warm, polite woman who always greeted others with a smile. Likewise, her 14-year-old son Krish is widely remembered as a soft-spoken boy, full of life, with a deep love for cricket. On early Thursday morning, shocked residents began gathering outside the house where the mother-son duo was brutally killed. Jyoti Gupta, a neighbour who often met Ruchika during local kirtans at the temple next door, was left deeply shaken. “We used to have frequent get-togethers. Everyone knew each other here. Ruchika’s warmth and friendliness stood out. It’s heartbreaking to know this happened in our quiet lane,” she said. Another resident, Jyoti Mehta, who regularly walked around the neighbourhood, had similar memories. Locals recalled that Ruchika’s son attended a cricket academy and would usually return home by evening. His routine was familiar to many in the area. “We would see him playing in the park. He was very close to his mother,” said another resident. The Sewani family lived in a five-storey house; it owned four floors while one was sold since the last 9-10 years. Ruchika lived with her husband, their son and daughter, who is currently pursuing an MBA in Jammu. The couple ran a garments shop in Lajpat Nagar Central Market for nearly three decades. Praising their dedication, Bajru Hassan, a long-time supplier for their business, said, “Ruchika and her husband managed the shop together. They dealt with everyone calmly and were known for staying away from unnecessary disputes.” Prem Sagar, one of the shop staffers, described Ruchika as compassionate and generous. “She was there for us in difficult times — she even celebrated our children’s birthdays with cakes and gifts,” he recalled. Surender Singh Bisht, another long-serving employee, emphasised the shop’s longstanding roots in the market. “It was more than a business — it was a family legacy,” he said. The colony where the incident took place has 70-80 houses standing extremely close to each other, with CCTV cameras installed in several buildings. Security guards were also deployed at night. Forty-two-year-old Govind, who works as a driver, said this is the first time such a gruesome incident had taken place in the area. When TOI visited Central Market, neighbouring shopkeepers shared their disbelief. “We were waiting for them to open the shop in the morning when we heard the news. You just don’t expect something like this,” said Shailendra, who runs a shop next door. His colleague, Rahul, who knew the family for years, recalled seeing Mukesh, the accused, at work. “He always kept to himself. No one could’ve imagined this,” he said. Reflecting on the fragility of life in the aftermath of the tragedy, Firoz, another shop owner, said, “We were joking just last night… It’s terrifying to think how things changed so suddenly.”
