Ghaziabad ex-IAF officer murder: Sons hired killers after father asked them to vacate house

• Retired IAF officer Yogesh Kumar was killed in Ghaziabad over a property dispute
• Kumar's sons hired hitmen; one accused is a police constable, say police.
• Shooter Arvind arrested; Kumar's sons and constable Naveen still at large

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The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday made a major revelation in the murder case of retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer Yogesh Kumar, who was shot dead by two men on December 26 in Ghaziabad's Loni.

Police said the killing was allegedly planned by Kumar’s own two sons, who hired contract killers to murder their father due to a property dispute. As per the police, the 58-year-old retired officer wanted his sons to vacate his house. Angry over this and driven by greed for his property, the sons allegedly planned the murder, PTI reported.

थाना लोनी पुलिस टीम द्वारा हत्या की घटना का सफल अनावरण, 01 अभियुक्त गिरफ्तार, कब्जे से आलाकत्ल 01 अवैध तमंचा .315 बोर मय 04 जिन्दा कारतूस .315 बोर , घटना में प्रयुक्त लोहे की पाइप व 01 मोटरसाइकिल बरामद । बाइट-श्री सिद्धार्थ गौतम, सहायक पुलिस आयुक्त लोनी@Uppolicepic.twitter.com/I4xHhjuk6B

— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE GHAZIABAD (@ghaziabadpolice) January 1, 2026

Yogesh was walking near Ashok Vihar in Loni around 12.40 pm and was talking on the phone while heading towards the Delhi–Saharanpur road. At that time, two men arrived on a motorcycle, stopped near him, and opened fire. One bullet hit Kumar in the head, leaving him seriously injured. He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

During the investigation, police found important clues from CCTV footage. The footage showed that Kumar tried to run after seeing the attackers and appeared to recognise them. Police also recovered a live cartridge of .315 calibre from the crime scene.

Police further revealed that a local neighbour named Arvind was hired by the victim’s sons as a contract killer. Arvind allegedly carried out the shooting along with his brother-in-law Naveen, who is a constable posted in Kaushambi district. This raised serious concerns as a police personnel is also suspected to be involved in the crime.

During questioning, Arvind confessed that he and Naveen shot Yogesh Kumar. Arvind was arrested on Wednesday evening and produced before a Ghaziabad court on Thursday. The court sent him to 14 days of judicial custody.

Police recovered a country-made .315 bore pistol, two live cartridges, and empty cartridges from Arvind’s possession.

Meanwhile, the accused constable Naveen and the two sons of Yogesh Kumar are currently absconding. Police teams are conducting raids at various locations to arrest them.

After receiving the initial complaint, police registered an FIR and formed multiple teams to examine CCTV footage from nearby areas and trace the movements of the accused. The investigation is ongoing.