National-level para-athlete Chirag Tyagi, 24, who had recently won gold in the 400-metre race at the National Para Athletics Championship in Bengaluru and qualified for the Para Asian Games in Japan, was shot dead near Sai Kunj in Ghaziabad on May 30 — allegedly by a man he had trained alongside for nearly a decade.
Tyagi, a resident of Basantpur Sethli village in Muradnagar, had returned from a training camp in Pune and called his family on May 30 morning, saying he would be home by 3:30 pm. His phone went silent shortly after. Police informed the family about his death later that day.
CCTV leads to an arrest
Based on CCTV footage, police detained Yash Khatik, also a para-athlete who had competed with Tyagi in the ‘blind’ category. The two had shared a room, trained together for five years, and Tyagi had trusted Khatik with his personal account details.
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During interrogation, Khatik allegedly confessed to the killing. Police say Tyagi had earlier filed a complaint against Khatik during a document verification process, which led to Khatik’s disqualification from competition.
Officers believe that the resentment drove Khatik to plan the murder.
DCP, City, Dhawal Jaiswal said on May 31 that preliminary examination of the body and evidence collected from the spot suggested that Tyagi had been shot dead.
“The motive was professional revenge. Yash Khatik lured Tyagi to an isolated spot and shot him in the back to settle score,” said DCP Dhaval Jaiswal.
Weapon still being traced
Khatik has been formally arrested and a case filed against him. Police teams are working to recover the pistol used in the crime. Investigators are also examining whether any accomplices were involved. The post-mortem report is awaited to confirm the exact cause of death.
(With agency inputs)
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