Hemani Kandhari
January 30 , 2026: As the country prepares to celebrate International Women’s Day and applaud women’s courage and achievements, the brutal killing of a pregnant Delhi Police SWAT commando has once again raised serious questions about women’s safety and the ground reality of crimes against women.
Days before International Women’s Day, the alleged dowry-linked killing of Kajal Chaudhary, a 27-year-old Delhi Police SWAT commando, has shaken the nation and exposed the harsh reality behind claims of improved women’s safety. Kajal, who was four months pregnant, died after allegedly being assaulted by her husband, Ankur Chaudhary, over dowry demands.
According to her family, Kajal was repeatedly harassed for a car and money soon after her marriage. Her father and brother have accused her husband and in-laws of continuous mental and physical torture. Kajal’s father said the incident amounts to “not one but two murders,” as both his daughter and her unborn child lost their lives.
Kajal was a trained SWAT commando, educated, financially independent, and serving the nation, yet she could not escape domestic violence. The case highlights that harassment and dowry-related violence are not limited to uneducated or rural women but also affect working, empowered women.
A murder case has been registered, and the accused husband has been arrested and sent to judicial custody. As women across the country prepare to celebrate empowerment, the tragic death of Kajal Chaudhary forces society and the government to reflect on whether women are truly safe yesterday, today, or tomorrow.
