Birthday bloodbath: Delhi cop shoots wife
A Delhi Police constable posted with the Anti-Auto Theft Squad of the East District allegedly shot his 34-year-old wife dead near Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in East Delhi at around 3 am on Monday, her birthday. The incident took place after the two got into an argument while riding their scooter from their home in New Vinod Nagar.
The constable shot Priyanka and then fled the scene, leaving her bleeding on the roadside, where she was found by a delivery executive who rushed her to the hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.
The accused has been identified as Manish Bhati, a constable with the AATS of Delhi Police’s East District. He has been absconding since the incident. Multiple police teams have been formed to trace and arrest him. DCP East District Rajeev Kumar confirmed that police teams reached the spot immediately after receiving information. CCTV footage from the site and surrounding areas is being examined.
The footage reportedly shows the couple stopping their scooter by the roadside, getting off, and arguing, before Bhati allegedly pulled out his pistol and shot his wife. The footage is being treated as key evidence in the investigation.
The couple had left their home late Sunday night. According to Priyanka’s brothers, they had gone out together for some work on her birthday when the argument broke out during the ride.
The constable allegedly shot her near LBS Hospital and fled on the scooter.
Priyanka, 34, was a teacher at a private school in Ashok Vihar. The couple had married in 2023. Neighbours told police that arguments between the couple were frequent. Priyanka’s family has alleged that she was subjected to dowry harassment from the time of her marriage and that Manish had been demanding money from her family.
The family said a complaint was filed earlier with the Women’s Cell, but the matter was settled following counselling and intervention by relatives. The family’s allegation, if substantiated, would bring the case under the provisions covering dowry harassment alongside the murder charge.
Police said the family’s allegations are being verified as part of the investigation, and appropriate legal action will be taken based on the evidence collected. A murder case has been registered. Investigators are examining the couple’s marital relationship, any past complaints on record, and other possible motives for the killing. The body has been sent for post-mortem. Forensic experts have examined the crime scene.
The case has an additional layer that makes it particularly concerning for the police institution. The accused is a serving Delhi Police constable, which means he had access to a service weapon, and he is alleged to have used that weapon to kill his wife. The same weapon used in his official capacity to prevent crime appears, according to the preliminary evidence, to have been turned on a family member in a domestic dispute that escalated on a public road in the early hours of Monday.
Bhati has been absconding since the shooting, and investigators are working to trace him despite the CCTV footage that provides a clear visual record of the incident. Police have said his arrest and interrogation will be necessary to establish the complete sequence of events and the motive.
