NEW DELHI: The arrest of dermatologist Dr Manish Gupta for bludgeoning and stabbing to death his domestic help of over 15 years has left residents of South Delhi‘s Mount Kailash struggling to reconcile the allegations with the man they thought they knew.As investigators work to establish the motive, several friends and acquaintances told TOI that they had noticed changes in Gupta’s behaviour in the days leading up to the incident.Some described him as unusually withdrawn or behaving oddly over the previous three to four days.A few patients, too, had reportedly made similar observations. Some close associates said they were aware that Gupta may have been on medication for depression, though none knew the specifics and described him as someone who rarely spoke about his personal life. Beyond those recent observations, however, neighbours said there had been little to suggest the violence he is now accused of.For nearly 15 years, Gupta had lived in Mount Kailash with his wife and teenage son. Residents described him as reserved, polite and largely private. “Like any other resident here, he would smile or greet you. He largely kept to himself,” said Varun Gupta, a resident. Professionally, Gupta had built a career spanning more than two decades. An MBBS graduate from Jaipur, he later trained in dermatology in New Delhi.Over the years, he worked with several healthcare institutions, including the National Heart Institute, Kaya Skin Clinic and VLCC Healthcare. He also ran private practices, including Shivam Skin Clinic in East of Kailash and Ayur Skin Clinic in Karol Bagh, which he operated with his wife, an ayurvedic doctor.
A framed “Distinguished Doctor Award 2017” from the Indian Medical Association’s South Delhi branch hangs at the Karol Bagh clinic. Gupta was also associated with Jampur Charitable Dispensary and was known locally for treating residents who approached him for advice.Several domestic workers in the area recalled that he had provided medical treatment to them or their family members. One domestic helper said Gupta had recently treated her son’s skin allergy.Friends also remembered him as someone who regularly contributed to charitable causes, particularly animal welfare initiatives. Amit Vohra, who runs a dog shelter said, “In the multiple NGOs that I manage, Manish was the first to come forward to donate and all of those who knew him knew exactly this charitable nature of his. Even during Covid some of our friends got together to collect oxygen cylinders,” Vohra said.Yet even Vohra said the allegations were impossible for him to comprehend.“When I first heard there had been a murder in the area, the first person I called was Manish around 12.30pm. He did not pick up. When I later learnt that he was the one accused of the murder I couldn’t believe it,” he said.For many in Mount Kailash, it is this contradiction that now defines the case: a doctor known professionally and socially for years, accused of carrying out an act of extreme violence against a woman who had worked in his household for over a decade.
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