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New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI): Delhi Police has verified the identities of nine out of the 13 people being scrutinised as part of their investigation into the murder of a Delhi University professor here, sources said on Friday.

Efforts are underway to identify and trace the other four, including two masked suspects seen entering the victim's apartment complex in east Delhi, they said.

Devosmita Paul (42), an assistant professor at a Delhi University college, was found dead inside her flat in Vasundhara Enclave on Thursday.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Rajeev Kumar, police suspect that she was murdered some time on Wednesday.

The matter was reported to police by the victim's sister Devarati Paul (49) around 2.35 pm on Thursday.

The complainant told police that Devosmita had been murdered and her body was lying inside her apartment. She said the flat had remained locked from outside since morning and her repeated calls to her sister had gone unanswered. Suspecting something amiss, she broke open the door and found Devosmita lying dead inside the house.

Police said preliminary investigation revealed injury marks on the victim's head, suggesting that she may have been attacked with a heavy object.

The body has been preserved at LBS Hospital for post-mortem.

A case under Section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered at New Ashok Nagar police station. Multiple teams have been formed to crack the case.

Investigators said they did not find signs of forced entry or ransacking inside the house, prompting suspicion that the assailants may have been known to the victim. For now, they have ruled out robbery as a possible motive.

Sources said CCTV footage from the residential complex showed two masked individuals arriving in a cab and entering the building through the staircase, instead of taking the lift. The suspects, who carried a bag, remained inside for about 30 minutes before leaving in the same vehicle.

The cab involved has been traced and its driver is being questioned, police sources said.

Investigators said they believe the murder took place between 1 pm and 6 pm on Wednesday. The victim had reportedly spoken to her mother around 1 pm. When her maid arrived at the residence around 6 pm and repeatedly knocked on the door, there was no response.

Police initially examined CCTV footage and movement records of nearly 200 people who had entered or exited the housing complex during the period. The list was subsequently narrowed down to 13 persons of interest. Of them, nine have been identified and verified, while four people are yet to be identified.

Among the four unidentified persons are a man and a woman who entered the society wearing masks, sources said.

Several cab drivers who entered the housing complex during the suspected time of the murder are also being questioned as investigators attempt to reconstruct the sequence of events.

Police have dispatched teams to four states to trace and identify the remaining suspects. Further investigation is underway. PTI SSJ RUK RUK

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)