NEW DELHI: A 27-year-old Delhi Police SWAT commando died after being hit by dumbbell at her home in west Delhi. According to news agency PTI, Kajal Chaudhary, who was four months pregnant, was posted with the Special Cell of Delhi Police. She was at her residence in Mohan Garden on January 22 when the alleged assault took place.Her husband, Ankur, a clerk with the Ministry of Defence posted in Delhi Cantonment, was arrested hours later. Kajal succumbed to her injuries on January 27, after battling for life for five days at a hospital in Ghaziabad. Her brother, Nikhil, a constable posted at Parliament Street Police Station, told PTI that he was on the phone when the attack occurred.Also read: ‘Our son would’ve got a car’: Even after giving Bullet bike, dowry harassment continued, says family of slain SWAT commando
A chilling call
“He told me to put the call on recording, said it could be used as police evidence; (then) told me he was killing her. And then, I heard her screams,” Nikhil recalled, describing the moments before the call ended abruptly. According to Nikhil, the sequence of events began with a call from Ankur. “He called me and said, ‘Apni behen ko samjha le’ (Make your sister understand). I asked him to calm down and immediately called my sister,” he said.
“She normally wouldn’t tell us much about what was happening, but that day she was sharing her ordeal. While we were speaking, he got angry that she was telling me things and snatched the phone from her,” Nikhil said. “Then he said to me, ‘Is call ko recording pe rakh, police evidence me kaam aayega. Main maar raha hoon teri behen ko. Police mera kuch nahi kar payegi’ (Put this call on recording, it will be useful as police evidence.
I am killing your sister. Police won’t be able to do anything). Then I heard her screams. The call ended abruptly,” he said. Barely five minutes later, Nikhil said he received another call. “He (Ankur) said, ‘Ye mar gayi hai. Hospital aajao’ (She is dead. Come to the hospital). We rushed there with police personnel. He and his family were already present. When I saw my sister not even an enemy kills someone like this,” he said. The family alleged that Kajal sustained severe head injuries and had multiple wounds across her body. Nikhil said they attempted to admit her to several hospitals but were allegedly told her chances of survival were minimal before she was finally admitted to a Ghaziabad hospital. The family has accused Ankur and his relatives of prolonged torture and dowry harassment, including during Kajal’s pregnancy. The couple has a one-and-a-half-year-old son, who is currently with his maternal grandparents. Recalling an earlier incident, Nikhil said Kajal had been slapped by her husband around five months ago. “I went there and asked her to come with me. Ankur apologised and swore on his child that he wouldn’t repeat it. I told my sister she could return home whenever she wanted and didn’t have to stay there,” he said. He also alleged that Kajal was made to do household chores despite being pregnant. “She would cook, wash clothes and utensils despite being pregnant,” he claimed. “Her son doesn’t know anything about the incident, and we have decided that we will only raise him. We will tell him when he is mature to understand such things,” Nikhil told PTI. Kajal’s father, Rakesh, alleged persistent dowry demands.
'We gave them Bullet bike, gold jewellery'
“We gave them a Bullet bike, gold jewellery and cash at the wedding, but they said our son would have got a car (had he married someone else). Later, my daughter even arranged a car, but they didn't stop harassing her.
We couldn't even speak freely to her,” he said. Her mother said the family had spent around Rs 20 lakh on the marriage and taken loans. “He (Ankur) had also taken Rs 5 lakh from her. She (Kajal) suffered a lot. I want justice. He is a monster,” she said. The couple had known each other since their college days in Panipat and married on November 23, 2023. Due to frequent disputes at their native home in Ganaur, Haryana, they shifted to a rented accommodation in Mohan Garden in December 2024, but tensions reportedly continued. Police said financial stress and domestic disputes were among the factors behind the conflict. “The couple had taken some loans and often had arguments over finances and household expenses,” a Delhi Police officer said. “On January 22, Ankur allegedly first banged Kajal’s head against a door frame before attacking her with a dumbbell,” the officer added. A case was registered at Mohan Garden police station based on Nikhil’s complaint. “He was initially booked for attempt to murder. After her death, the charges will be converted to murder,” the officer said.
