‘Our son would’ve got a car’: Even after giving Bullet bike, dowry harassment continued, says family of slain SWAT commando

NEW DELHI: A desperate phone call, a husband allegedly announcing a killing in real time and a brother forced to listen helplessly to his sister’s screams marked the chilling final moments of a 27-year-old Delhi Police SWAT commando who later died after being brutally assaulted at her west Delhi home.

Kajal Chaudhary, posted with the Special Cell of Delhi Police and four months pregnant, was attacked at her rented residence in Mohan Garden on January 22.





After battling for life for five days, she succumbed to her injuries at a Ghaziabad hospital on the morning of January 27.

The family has accused Kajal’s husband, Ankur, a clerk with the Ministry of Defence posted in Delhi Cantt, and his relatives of prolonged torture and persistent dowry harassment, even during her pregnancy.

Her father, Rakesh, alleged that the harassment began soon after the wedding. “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 had taken loans to meet the demands. “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 horror of the assault unfolded over a phone call that Kajal’s brother, Nikhil, a constable posted at Parliament Street police station, was forced to witness.

“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, his voice trembling.

According to Nikhil, the sequence 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’s phone rang again. “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.