Delhi RWA president’s murder: Police hunt for killer leads to Bihar farmhouse — and the mastermind of the crime

Since then, police said, Bharat had been absconding while five of his associates were arrested. He had also been unsuccessfully trying to get anticipatory bail from courts. When all efforts failed, Bharat – who had been declared a proclaimed offender – allegedly plotted the murder of Rachna, the prime witness in Bijender’s murder case.

On Monday, while Bharat and Nikhil were arrested from a hut in the farmland, another accused in Rachna’s murder, Sumit, was arrested from Panipat. Two assailants were involved in Rachna’s murder – while one shot at her, the other waited on a bike to help them escape. The incident was captured on CCTV cameras.

Rachna Yadav and her husband Bijender. He was killed in 2023, she was shot dead last week. Express

Tracking the killers

Police used Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and facial recognition software to recreate the pillon rider’s face, who shot at Rachna. He was not wearing a helmet. One match was Nikhil, whose address was listed in Panipat. During the probe, police learnt that he was staying with his aunt at Karala village in Delhi.

“We scanned his call data records (CDR) and found he was present at the crime scene on January 9 and 10… we became sure that he had killed Rachna,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh.

“We started checking his CDRs and the people he was in touch with. We found that he had taken a train to Kathiyar in Bihar on January 12,” he added.

A police team was sent to Bihar. With the help of a local farmer, police said they located a hut on farmland where Nikhil was hiding. During a raid on Monday morning, officers were surprised to find Bharat hiding alongside him.

Police said the hut was owned by Bharat’s distant relative. Bharat had also allegedly travelled to Nepal while he was absconding, and had returned to Delhi in between. An i10 car was seized from him during his arrest.

During questioning, Nikhil allegedly disclosed the role of his associate Sumit, who was arrested from Panipat on Monday. While Sumit worked at a refinery, Nikhil was unemployed, the DCP said.

Police said Bharat had been planning Rachna’s murder since late 2024. He had travelled to Delhi and met Nikhil at a farmhouse in Outer Delhi through a common acquaintance. “Bharat claimed he saw potential in Nikhil and roped him in. He told him he will give him Rs 5 lakh, a motorcycle and firearms to execute the crime. The responsibility of arranging a rider for the motorcycle was Nikhil’s,” an officer said.

Police said Bharat used his contacts in Bihar to deliver a stolen motorcycle and two countrymade pistols to Nikhil last November. “When Bharat was asked why he waited before killing Rachna, he said that was hopeful he would get bail. When it did not happen, he got Rachna killed,” said the officer.

Police said that after the murder, Nikhil and Sumit abandoned the motorcycle near the Rohini helipad. Nikhil shaved his beard in Jain Nagar and stayed back in Delhi, while Sumit returned to Panipat via a Gramin Sewa vehicle.

How did the rivalry begin?

Police said the rivalry started after Bharat’s brother Suraj purchased a plot from Bijendra. Despite selling the land, Bijender allegedly refused to let go of the ownership of the land.

“Both families were well-off and associated with AAP, and both were reportedly vying for a councillor ticket,” an officer said.

In April 2023, Suraj was shot at in Jahangirpuri’s K Block. “Bharat thought Bijender would get Suraj killed, so he asked his associate Amit Kala (in jail now) to arrange for firearms to eliminate him. In May 2023, Bijender was sitting inside a tent in the neighbourhood when they barged in and shot him dead,” the officer added.