Kitty Kumaramangalam, wife of late former Union minister P Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, was found murdered at her home in Delhi's Vasant Vihar, police said on Wednesday.
She was 67 years old.
The police said they suspect attempted robbery to be behind the killing and have apprehended a 24-year-old washerman of the area in connection with the case.
It is suspected that the washerman had come to the house around 9 pm on Tuesday night, and when the house help opened the door, he overpowered her, dragged her to a room and restrained her, police said.
Two other people entered the house in the meantime and smothered the victim with a pillow, the police said.