On January 16, 2024, 22-year-old Kajal Chauhan was killed after being struck and run over by a high-speed black Scorpio SUV on a service road near Tughalpur in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Initially reported by her family on January 18, 2024, as a hit-and-run vehicular accident, an investigation led by ACP-1 and SHO Knowledge Park Police Station revealed a deliberate murder plot. Shiv Pandey, who had been living in a live-in relationship with Kajal for about a year after meeting her at a marketing firm, had concealed that he was already married to Pratima Pandey. Approximately two months prior to the incident, Kajal and Pratima discovered the truth, leading to frequent disputes. Kajal repeatedly visited Shiv and Pratima's home in Sector 110, Greater Noida, demanding a financial settlement, property share, or a portion of the proceeds from selling Shiv's Scorpio. Fearing police complaints and financial losses, Shiv and Pratima conspired to murder Kajal by staging her death as an accident. On January 16, Shiv called Kajal to wait along the service lane near Tughalpur, where he drove the SUV with Pratima present inside, intentionally running Kajal over and confirming her death before fleeing. Both Shiv Pandey and Pratima Pandey were arrested by the police, and the vehicle used in the crime was recovered.
Country: India
State/Province: Uttar Pradesh, India
City/Region: Greater Noida
Incident Type: Murder
Relationship Status: Extramarital relationship
Relationship Duration: 1 year
Incident Date: Jan. 16, 2024
Relationship Origins:
Relationship Stages:
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Red Flags:
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Relationship Outcomes:
How the relationship or connection began.
1 year
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
2024-01-16
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
English labels are shown first. Original-language titles are preserved for source verification.
Infidelity
The relationship pattern involved a secret extramarital live-in relationship initiated at a workplace, where the male offender deceived both his wife and his partner. When the deception was exposed, the victim asserted her demands for financial compensation and property rights, triggering severe conflict. Rather than resolving the dispute through legal or personal channels, the primary offender and his wife jointly conspired to eliminate the victim, masking the violent murder as a routine hit-and-run vehicular accident.
The case was initially registered as a road accident under Knowledge Park Police Station on January 18, 2024, following a complaint by the victim's family. Police intelligence, informer tips, CCTV camera footage, and mobile phone call records subsequently revealed a murder plot. The charges were upgraded from accident sections to murder. Suspects Shiv Pandey and Pratima Pandey were arrested and remanded to judicial custody, and the black Mahindra Scorpio SUV used in the crime was seized.
Initial confusion arose because the crime scene appeared to be a vehicular hit-and-run accident. The suspects intentionally staged the incident along an open service lane at night to avoid immediate murder suspicion. Police re-evaluated the scene after receiving informer inputs and examining technical evidence.
Investigating officers connected electronic call records, informer reports, and CCTV footage to retrace Shiv Pandey's communications with Kajal Chauhan on January 16, 2024. The records established that Shiv summoned Kajal to a specific service lane near Tughalpur. The collision was re-examined as deliberate acceleration, confirming that Shiv and Pratima drove to the location, struck Kajal, drove over her to ensure death, and fled the scene.
Extramarital deception combined with cohabitating live-in dynamics and escalating financial demands created extreme volatility. Fearing legal complaints, social exposure, and financial loss, the offender and his wife escalated from verbal altercations to deliberate homicide planning, using a motor vehicle as a lethal weapon under the cover of darkness.
Staged vehicular hit-and-run incidents require thorough technical review including call detail records, camera networks, and interpersonal background checks. Unresolved infidelity conflicts involving high financial or property demands represent high-risk escalation pathways.
Kajal discovered two months prior that Shiv was married, leading to repeated personal visits to his home and vocal demands for property and money.
Informer tips, mobile phone records showing Shiv calling Kajal to the location, and CCTV tracking of the black Scorpio SUV identified the premeditated nature of the crime.
Recovered black Mahindra Scorpio SUV, mobile call detail records, CCTV footage, and police statements.
DCP Saad Miah Khan stated that the police initially registered an accident case based on the family's application, but subsequent informer information and investigative findings by ACP-1 and SHO Knowledge Park proved it was a planned murder executed by both husband and wife.
Initial reports treated the incident as a hit-and-run road fatality, but follow-up police work altered the case classification to premeditated murder under relevant statutory provisions.
Court proceedings and formal trial outcomes remain ongoing following the arrest and remanding of both accused.