A massive manhunt is underway in Delhi-NCR and Haryana to apprehend a Delhi Police constable who allegedly shot his wife dead on her birthday in east Delhi’s Vinod Nagar area. Five police teams are conducting raids across the region to trace the accused, Manish Bhati, who remains absconding.
Bhati, a 2022-batch Delhi Police constable posted with the Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS), is suspected to have fled shortly after allegedly shooting his 30-year-old wife, Priyanka, in the chest with his service pistol following an argument. The deceased’s family has alleged that she had been subjected to dowry harassment since her marriage in 2023 and had earlier approached the women’s cell with a complaint against her husband and his family.
Police said the allegations are being verified as part of the investigation. A senior police officer said raids are being carried out in Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Faridabad, and many other parts of Haryana based on technical surveillance and other leads. The officer expressed confidence in apprehending the accused soon, stating that they have obtained important clues about his whereabouts.
According to the investigation, the couple left their New Vinod Nagar residence together on a two-wheeler in the early hours of Monday after an argument. CCTV footage recovered by police allegedly shows them stopping on a road near Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where an argument ensued before the constable allegedly opened fire and fled. Priyanka, a teacher at a private school in Ashok Vihar, was taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital by a passerby, where doctors declared her brought dead.
A case of murder has been registered, and investigators are examining CCTV footage, electronic evidence, and witness statements to establish the sequence of events leading to the killing. Bhati, who joined the AATS last year, was considered a sharp-minded officer by his colleagues.
