Chandigarh head constable shot dead inside house, 19-year-old son arrested

Chandigarh Head Constable Murder Case: ASI mother escapes murder bid, suspect tried to pass off killing as outsider attack: Sources

4 min readChandigarhUpdated: Sep 27, 2026 05:43 AM IST

Chandigarh Head Constable Murder Case: A forensic investigation unit examined Head Constable Nitin Singh's residence and collected evidence. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

An argument between a head constable and his 19-year-old son allegedly over the latter marrying his girlfriend turned fatal as the constable was shot dead on Friday.

Head Constable Nitin Singh, posted in the Accounts Branch of the Chandigarh Police, was shot dead inside his Sector-22 residence on Friday morning.

“His son, Armaan, who was initially detained for questioning, was subsequently arrested after we found discrepancies in his account of what had happened inside the house,” Station House officer (SHO) Sudesh Kumar told The Indian Express.

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According to police sources, the dispute that preceded the killing was over the 19-year-old’s relationship and his insistence on marrying a girl of his age. The parents were opposed to the marriage and had been telling their son to wait until he turned 21 before taking the relationship forward, sources said.

The issue apparently came to a head on Thursday night. At around 10.30 pm, Nitin and his son had an argument over the matter, preliminary investigation said. The argument eventually ended, and the two went to sleep in separate rooms.

Nitin’s wife, an Assistant Sub-Inspector with the Chandigarh Police, was also at home and sleeping in another room.

By the following morning, however, the family dispute had turned into a murder.

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According to police sources, the son had already arranged a country-made pistol and allegedly used it to shoot his father inside the house. Nitin’s wife heard a noise and went towards the room. She found her husband lying in a pool of blood.

In the chaos that followed, Armaan allegedly tried to grab his mother’s neck as well. She managed to free herself and raised an alarm, sources added.

He then allegedly attempted to divert suspicion when police reached. He told police that “someone has shot papa”, sources said on the basis of the preliminary investigation. The statement initially suggested that an unknown person may have entered the house and fired at Nitin.

Police, however, began examining the circumstances inside the residence and the accounts of those present.

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The possibility of an outsider attack came under question as investigators reconstructed the events leading up to the shooting.

Pistol recovered from house

Police recovered a country-made pistol from the residence and a forensic team examined the scene and collected evidence.

Investigators are probing how the weapon reached the house and when it was allegedly arranged by the accused. They are also examining whether the shooting was a premeditated act following the dispute over the marriage or whether the weapon had been procured for some other reason.

The son was detained for questioning as police began investigating the circumstances surrounding his father’s death. During questioning and examination of the evidence, police allegedly found his version inconsistent with the developing investigation.

He was subsequently arrested.

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The police are now piecing together the sequence from the argument around 10.30 pm on Thursday to the shooting the next morning, including the movements of the family members inside the house and the circumstances in which the weapon was allegedly used.

Earlier case against son

The murder investigation has also brought under scrutiny the 19-year-old’s earlier brush with the law.

He had last year been arrested in a case in which he allegedly ran over two people while driving his friend’s car (Thar) near Kalagram. He was subsequently released on bail.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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