SWAT commando dies after husband, a Defence Ministry staffer, hits her with dumbbell in Delhi

• Delhi Police SWAT commando Kajal died after husband allegedly assaulted her with dumbbell
• Husband Ankur arrested; murder charge added after Kajal's death
• Police investigating; no dowry charges added to FIR yet

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A 27-year-old woman, a SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) commando with the Delhi Police Special Cell, died during treatment on Tuesday, five days after she was allegedly attacked by her husband with a dumbbell at their home in west Delhi’s Mohan Garden.

The victim, identified as Kajal, was a 2022-batch recruit of the Delhi Police. She had suffered serious head injuries after being allegedly struck multiple times with a dumbbell used for exercise. Kajal was undergoing treatment at Yashoda Hospital in Nehru Nagar, where she succumbed to her injuries early Tuesday morning.

Her husband, Ankur, who works as a clerk with the Ministry of Defence, was arrested on January 22, the day of the incident. He was initially booked for attempt to murder at Mohan Garden police station. Following Kajal’s death, police said the charge of murder will be added to the case.

The couple had a one-and-a-half-year-old son. According to police, the assault took place at their Mohan Garden flat, where the couple had come to stay temporarily. Kajal’s elder brother, Nikhil, who is a constable posted at the Parliament Street police station, said Kajal and Ankur were in a love marriage and had tied the knot in 2023.

However, Nikhil alleged that soon after the wedding, Ankur’s family began making comments related to dowry. “Initially, Kajal lived with her in-laws in Ganaur, Sonipat. Due to frequent disputes, the couple later shifted to a rented flat in Mohan Garden,” he said.

According to the family, Ankur later insisted on returning to Ganaur to live with his parents. The couple would travel to Delhi whenever Kajal was on duty. They had come to the Mohan Garden flat on January 20, ahead of Republic Day-related work.

Nikhil said the incident occurred on January 22 after an argument between the couple. "Kajal called me up when the argument escalated," Nikhil said, adding that while he was still on the phone with his sister, Ankur began hitting her on the head with the dumbbell. "Five minutes later, Ankur called me up and bluntly informed me of the assault," Nikhil was quoted by TOI as saying.

Police said Ankur took Kajal, who was unconscious at the time, to a private hospital in Mohan Garden before leaving the spot. Nikhil reached the hospital shortly after and found his sister unconscious.

As her condition did not improve, Kajal was shifted to Yashoda Hospital on January 24. She remained on life support until her death at around 6 am on Tuesday.

The information about her death was first received by Ghaziabad’s Sihani Gate police station, which then informed the Delhi Police. A post-mortem examination was conducted on Tuesday.

Police said no dowry-related charges have been added to the FIR so far, and the investigation is ongoing.