Indore tragedy: In a shocking incident, a woman was killed after a dispute over a flat being used as an Airbnb rental in Indore. The deceased, Shampa Pandey, a software engineer and mother of two, died on Wednesday night after being hit by a car during an argument inside her housing society.

What happened that night

Residents of Shiv Vatika Smriti Enclave had been protesting for a long time about a penthouse in their building being used for short-term rentals like Airbnb. With people coming in and out at odd hours, they felt unsafe.

A resident said they had relocated to the society two months back. They had already flagged the issue of using residential flats for business purposes. A few days ago, residents had a meeting with the penthouse owner, Kuldeep Chaudhary, to resolve the issue. However, on Wednesday, when the flat was rented out again, tensions rose.

Argument turned violent

Residents said they first snapped power supply to the penthouse. Agitated over this, the owner allegedly cut power to the entire building, which led to a heated argument. During the commotion, Chaudhary reportedly called his son, Monish, to the spot. When Monish reached there, he became aggressive. Eyewitnesses said he drove his car recklessly and first hit a security guard’s wife. Later, he turned the car again and banged into Shampa Pandey, running over her.

She was taken to a nearby hospital, but doctors could not save her. She is survived by two young children.

The police have arrested both the accused, the penthouse owner Kuldeep Chaudhary and his son Monish. Officials said the matter is under investigation.