Delhi Police have arrested three men from Bihar, including a long-time fugitive, in connection with the targeted killing of 44-year-old Rachna Yadav, officials said on Tuesday. Rachna was due to testify in court as a key witness against the men accused of murdering her husband.
On January 10, Rachna Yadav — the president of her Residents’ Welfare Association — was shot at point-blank range while returning home from a neighbour’s funeral, just as she prepared to depose in the case against her husband’s killers. She later died from her injuries.
Police identified the prime accused as Bharat Yadav, who had been evading arrest since allegedly participating in the 2023 murder of Rachna’s husband, Vijendra Yadav. Two of his associates, Nikhil and Sumit, were also taken into custody. Investigators said Nikhil and Sumit are first-time offenders, allegedly hired with a payment promise of Rs 5 lakh to carry out the killing.
A senior police officer said that Bharat Yadav orchestrated the murder and provided key logistics, including the motorcycle used in the attack. The motorcycle was found to have been stolen from the Subhash Place area in September 2025.
Rachna had been scheduled to testify in her husband’s murder case but had missed the first hearing earlier in January. The attack occurred when two men intercepted her near her home. One assailant reportedly asked her name; when she identified herself, he immediately opened fire at close range.
According to the police, Rachna’s husband, Vijendra Yadav, was a history-sheeter from Jahangirpuri with multiple criminal cases, including murder, registered against him. He was shot dead on May 22, 2023, while attending a langar near his office in the Bhalswa area.
Investigators believe Rachna was killed to prevent her from testifying in court. A police investigation is ongoing.
