Delhi housing society chief, key witness in husband's murder, shot dead in Shalimar Bagh
PTC News Desk: A 44-year-old woman was shot dead at point blank range in Delhi's Shalimar Bagh on Saturday morning with police suspecting the killing to be a fallout of the 2023 murder of her husband, an official said.
The deceased woman has been identified as Rachna Yadav, a resident of Shalimar Bagh the resident welfare association (RWA) president of her locality. She died on the spot after being shot in the head.
Police said they received a PCR call around 10:59 am at Shalimar Bagh station reporting that a woman had been shot. When officers arrived, they found Rachna lying on the road in a pool of blood, with an empty cartridge recovered from the spot. During their initial inquiry, police learned that Rachna’s husband, Vijendra Yadav, had been murdered in 2023. That case, registered at Jahangir Puri police station, is still under trial.
Rachna was the key witness in her husband’s murder, and investigators suspect her killing is linked to that case. They believe she was targeted to weaken the prosecution and intimidate other witnesses.
“In the 2023 case, Vijendra Yadav was allegedly murdered due to previous enmity. Bharat Yadav and five others were named as accused. While five of the accused were arrested and are facing trial, the main accused, Bharat Yadav, is still absconding and has been declared a proclaimed offender,” a senior police officer said.
CCTV footage has emerged showing the suspect believed to have shot Rachna. According to police, the attacker’s associate was waiting nearby on a sports bike with a Delhi number plate, enabling a quick getaway.
Investigators found that Rachna was returning after visiting a neighbour when two men approached her. One of them allegedly stopped her, asked her name, and after confirming her identity, pulled out a gun and shot her in the head. He then escaped with his accomplice. Early findings indicate the attackers knew who she was and had planned the assault in advance.
- With inputs from agencies
