A 33-year-old woman was shot dead in broad daylight on a busy street in Gwalior, allegedly by the man against whom she had filed a police complaint just three days earlier. He then remained with the body, and police resorted to the use of teargas to detain him.
The two had previously been in a relationship and had an Arya Samaj wedding, though they were still married to their respective spouses, sources said.
According to witnesses, Arvind Parihar (33) stopped the victim, Nandini, on the busy street and opened fire. “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,” said Advocate M P Singh, who was at the spot when the incident took place.
Police said Nandini sustained four or five bullet injuries. She was rushed to hospital but succumbed during treatment.
After the shooting, Parihar remained seated beside her body in the middle of the road. When police reached the spot, he pointed his pistol at them. “The accused even attempted to threaten the police team, but with the use of teargas shells and minimal force, he was subdued and taken into custody. His weapon has been seized,” said CSP Nagendra Sikarwar.
On September 9, just three days before the murder, Nandini filed a complaint with the SP’s office, accusing Parihar of deceiving her into marriage despite already being married and having children. She alleged that Parihar, who worked as a contractor, had been harassing her for months, issuing threats and trying to force her back into the relationship.
In the preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the accused was already married and had two children, and that the victim was also married and had a child.
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“During initial questioning, the accused further disclosed that in 2023, without informing their families, he and Nandini even got married at the Arya Samaj Mandir in Murar. Without divorcing their respective spouses, they continued to live together. From 2023 onwards, constant disputes and quarrels began between them. As a result, Nandini lodged three cases against Parihar,” said a senior police officer.
It further came to light that in 2017, Nandini was arrested in connection with a murder case and that she was released in 2022 after serving her four-and-a-half-year sentence.
In 2024, Nandini lodged another report at Sirol police station, alleging that Parihar had tried to run her over with a car. A case of attempted murder was registered, and Parihar was arrested.
“However, Nandini later submitted an affidavit in court denying the incident, based on which the accused obtained bail. He remained in jail for about three months. In other cases filed by Nandini, too, he was acquitted through compromise because Nandini herself denied the incidents in her testimony,” the officer said.
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After being released on bail, Parihar and Nandini again came into contact. “During this period, it came to light that Nandini was pressuring Parihar to transfer his property to her and leave his wife in order to marry her,” the officer claimed.
