Kajal Chaudhary, a 27-year-old Delhi Police SWAT commando who was four months pregnant, died on 27 January 2026 after being assaulted by her husband, Ankur Chaudhary, at their residence in West Delhi. The incident occurred on 22 January, following an argument over financial matters. Kajal suffered severe head injuries and was hospitalised, but succumbed to her injuries five days later. Police have registered a murder case and Ankur is in judicial custody. The couple has a one-and-a-half-year-old son.
Kajal was attacked with a dumbbell after a dispute with her husband, who works as a clerk in the Ministry of Defence. The assault resulted in serious head injuries, and she was rushed to a hospital where she died a week later. Her brother, Nikhil, a constable with Delhi Police, stated that Kajal had called him during the assault, and he heard her being attacked while on the call.
As reported by Hindustan Times, Nikhil recounted that Ankur called him on the night of the incident, asking him to "record the conversation as evidence" and then declared his intention to kill Kajal. Nikhil heard his sister's screams before the call was disconnected. Five minutes later, Ankur called again, stating that Kajal was dead and instructing Nikhil to come to the hospital.
The family has alleged ongoing dowry harassment and abuse by Ankur and his relatives, including during Kajal's pregnancy.
As highlighted by Financial Express, Nikhil described that Kajal was made to do household chores despite her pregnancy and that Ankur had previously slapped her. The family also alleged that Ankur's family made persistent dowry demands, including requests for a car and cash. Kajal's father stated that the family had already provided significant dowry at the time of marriage, but the harassment continued. Police confirmed that the couple had frequent disputes over finances and household expenses.
"He snatched the phone and asked me to record the conversation as evidence, saying he was going to kill my sister. I then heard her screaming before the call got disconnected," Nikhil said.
Further details indicated that after the assault, Ankur took Kajal to a private hospital in Mohan Garden before she was shifted to Yashoda Hospital in Ghaziabad, where she died. The police initially registered a case of attempt to murder, which was converted to murder after her death. The post-mortem was conducted in Ghaziabad, and the investigation is ongoing.
Police statements confirmed that Kajal's head was smashed against a door frame before being struck with the dumbbell. She was declared brain dead at a private hospital near Dwarka and later succumbed to her injuries in Ghaziabad. The couple had married in November 2023 after a four-year relationship, and their son was with his maternal grandparents at the time of the incident.
Police action resulted in Ankur's arrest on the night of the assault. He was produced before a Delhi court and sent to judicial custody. The case was updated to murder following Kajal's death. Kajal had joined the Delhi Police in 2022 and completed commando training before her SWAT posting. Her brother, Nikhil, is also a police constable.
"We registered a case of attempt to murder and arrested the commando’s husband, Ankur Chaudhary, the same night the crime was committed. Now that the commando has died, the case has been converted from attempt to murder to murder," said Special Commissioner of Police Madhup Tiwari.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.