'Put this call on recording… I am killing your sister': Chilling call in Delhi SWAT commando’s murder

The death of a 27-year-old Delhi Police SWAT commando has triggered outrage, with her family accusing her husband and in-laws of sustained violence and dowry harassment, ending in her fatal injuries. Kajal Chaudhary, a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commando, died on Tuesday (January 27) after allegedly being subjected to repeated assaults by her husband, Ankur Chaudhary, a clerk with the Ministry of Defence posted in Delhi Cantonment.

According to Kajal’s brother, Nikhil, the abuse reached a peak while Kajal was on a phone call with him, during which she finally started speaking about what she was suffering at home. He claimed that Ankur overheard the conversation, forcibly took her phone, and started beating her while Nikhil remained on the line. Recalling the moment, Nikhil said Ankur allegedly told him, “Is call ko recording pe rakh, police evidence me kaam aayega. Main maar raha hoon teri behen ko. Police mera kuch nahi kar payegi” (Put this call on recording, it will be useful as police evidence. I am killing your sister. Police won’t be able to do anything).

Nikhil said he then heard Kajal screaming before the call disconnected abruptly.

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The family has also accused Ankur’s relatives of persistently demanding dowry, despite having received valuables at the time of the wedding. Kajal’s father, Rakesh, said the demands never stopped even after substantial gifts were given. “We gave them a Bullet bike, gold jewellery, and cash at the wedding, but they said our son would have got a car (had he married someone else). Later, my daughter even arranged a car, but they didn't stop harassing her. We couldn't even speak freely to her,” he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Kajal and Ankur were married in November 2023. Her mother alleged that conflicts began almost immediately after the wedding and accused her son-in-law of exploiting her daughter financially and emotionally. “We spent around ₹20 lakh on the marriage and even took loans. He (Ankur) had also taken ₹5 lakh from her... She (Kajal) suffered a lot. I want justice. He is a monster,” she said. The deadly assault reportedly took place on January 22, when Kajal was four months pregnant. According to her brother, Ankur slammed her head against a door frame and struck her with a dumbbell, leaving her with severe head trauma and multiple injuries. “Initially, things were okay, but later he began behaving the same way... She was brain-dead. The doctors said that treatment was not possible…,” Nikhil told news agency ANI.

Kajal succumbed to her injuries days later. Following her death, Delhi Police upgraded the case against Ankur Chaudhary from attempted murder to murder. He is currently in police custody as investigations continue.