Days after Rachna Yadav, a resident of Shalimar Bagh, was shot dead at point-blank range by two bike-borne assailants, police on Monday denied the possibility that she was a target of the accused, who were involved in the killing of her husband, Bharat Yadav.
Delhi Police is exploring Rachna Yadav’s connections other than the possible linkages with Bharat Yadav’s death, the police told The Hindu on Monday.
Based on the CCTV footage and exploring the fact that she was not the material witness in her husband’s murder case, the police said attempts are being made to identify other possible enmities she may have had.
Rachna Yadav was allegedly killed after the assailants waited for three hours. Her husband, Bijender Yadav, was shot dead in the same manner in 2023.
“Her death is being seen as a witness killing. However, it must be noted that she was not a material witness in the case. Keeping that in mind, we are also exploring whether she had enmities with any other possible persons,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (North West), Bhisham Singh.
The police are enhancing technical and on-ground intelligence and using various means to identify the killers, the officer said. “The shooters in the CCTV footage have been run through FRS and our criminal database, but no identifications have been made so far,“ he added.
Meanwhile, the daughters of Rachna Yadav – Kanika and Vrinda- have been provided with police security. A Sub-Inspector has been deployed to keep watch on their home, and a PCR van has been placed outside their home. The police will accompany the girls if they want to step out of the house.
“This is a very sensitive time for us, as I am afraid that the next target might be my sister. I cannot leave her alone. The rumours keep coming in through phones, messages and personal connections, and we cannot bear to hear them. We cannot move out of the house without police accompanying us,” said Kanika Yadav, the elder of the two sisters.
“My mother was interested in selling ladies’ suits and garments, and she used to run a garments shop. She was handling the legal formalities associated with my father’s case. She was determined to put my father’s killers behind bars,” she added.
Bharat Yadav is still absconding, while five others involved in Bijender’s murder have been arrested. Police had initially thought of him as being responsible for Rachna’s death as well. The police had seized the bike from Rohini, but it did not provide any fruitful leads, the police said.
Published – January 13, 2026 01:02 am IST
