Gwalior woman shot dead by estranged husband days after police complaint; held

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In a chilling incident that has sent shockwaves across Gwalior, a 28-year-old woman was shot dead in broad daylight on a busy street outside Roop Singh Stadium by her estranged husband on Friday afternoon.

The man was identified as Arvind Parihar, a local contractor. Arvind remained by her side with his loaded pistol while bystanders watched in shock. Police officers quickly responded, using tear gas to subdue and arrest him after a tense standoff.

According to eyewitnesses, Arvind stopped his wife, Nandini, in the bustling stadium area, pulled out a pistol, and fired four to five rounds into her face at point-blank range.

“I was returning from court when I heard gunshots… A man was firing at a woman… Three bullets were fired in front of my eyes. She collapsed on the road while people stood helpless,” Advocate M P Singh, who was at the spot when the incident took place, was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

Soon after the incident, police teams from University police station rushed to the scene.

"He had a loaded weapon in his hand-he could have killed a civilian, a policeman, or himself," Gwalior SP Dharamveer Yadav told The Times of India, adding: "Police lobbed a tear-gas shell and overpowered him. The team did a commendable job."

Nandini was rushed to JAH Hospital but succumbed to her injuries during treatment. SP Yadav confirmed that the weapon was seized and a murder case registered.

In the preliminary investigation, it was revealed that Arvind was already married and had two children, and that the victim was also married and had a child. Investigators and family members revealed that the accused and the victim had a love marriage at an Arya Samaj temple, but their relationship soured.

On September 9, just three days before the murder, Nandini approached the SP's office, accusing Parihar of deceiving her into marriage despite already being married and having children. She alleged that Parihar had been harassing her for months, issuing threats and trying to force her back into the relationship.

She had previously filed complaints that in November 2024, Arvind and his friend Pooja Parihar assaulted her. A police officer was quoted by TOI as saying that the couple's volatile history included brief reconciliations:

"The accused was already married before he married Nandini. They had disputes earlier, and she implicated him in several cases. He was released from jail in January and they compromised to live together again. Recently they fought again after she allegedly showed interest in another person," the officer said, adding that the victim had come out of jail in 2022 in connection with the murder of her third husband.