In a brazen daylight attack that has sent shockwaves through the community, a 44-year-old woman, who was the prime witness in her husband's murder case, was shot dead near her home in Northwest Delhi's Shalimar Bagh on Saturday morning. The victim, Rachna Yadav, was reportedly returning from a neighbour's funeral procession when she was targeted.
A Family Shattered by Violence
The tragic incident marks the second devastating blow to the Yadav family in less than two years. Rachna's husband, Vijendra Yadav – a history-sheeter from Jahangirpuri with a record of arrests for murder and other crimes – was himself gunned down on May 22, 2023, while attending a community langar. Rachna had been pursuing justice in his case and was scheduled to record her statement as the key witness. She had missed the first hearing in early January and was to depose before the court soon.
On Sunday, grief-stricken relatives gathered at the family home for a hawan. The living room bore silent testimony to the double tragedy: a picture of Vijendra Yadav on one side and a family photograph of him with Rachna and their daughters, Kanika and Vrinda, on the other. Kanika, with her toddler beside her, expressed deep fear for her and her sister's safety in the wake of their mother's killing.
"She Believed in the Justice System"
Speaking to reporters, Kanika revealed chilling details about the threats her mother faced and her steadfast faith in the legal process. "After my father’s murder, the accused had once followed her and tried to attack her. An FIR was also registered in this regard," she said. Despite the clear danger, Rachna Yadav declined the police protection offered to her.
"My mother did not take the security offered by the police as she believed in the justice system," Kanika stated, tears streaming down her cheeks. She recounted that her sister Vrinda was alone at home when the shooting occurred, and both daughters have been living in fear since. "The brazen way in which they first murdered my father and then my mother sends a wrong message to society. It is a way of showing that no one can do anything to them," she added emotionally.
Modus Operandi and Police Investigation
According to police officers, the assailants had been lying in wait for approximately an hour before executing the attack. Rachna was shot at point-blank range by a man as she washed her hands near a water pot and began walking home. An accomplice was waiting on a motorcycle, and the duo fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Their images were captured on nearby CCTV cameras.
The motorcycle used in the crime, which was later recovered, had been stolen from the Netaji Subhash Place police station area in September last year. The accused abandoned the bike near the Rohini Heliport, leading investigators to suspect they either reside in the Begumpur area or may have escaped using public transport. Police have launched raids to apprehend the killers.
Officers noted that the incident occurred close to CM Rekha Gupta’s residence and a local police post. Preliminary analysis suggests the assailants were young men and possibly new to such crimes, as they were seen in the area from as early as 8 am on the day of the murder.
Meanwhile, locals and shopkeepers remembered Rachna Yadav as a dedicated social worker. "Even relatives do not do as much as she would, for others — be it emotionally, financially or in any other way. She was extremely helpful," one shopkeeper recalled, painting a picture of a woman who went the extra mile for her community.
The family's quest for justice now carries the weight of a second unspeakable loss, raising urgent questions about witness protection and the reach of criminal intimidation in the capital.
