There is an atmosphere of shock and sadness among the residents of **Shiv Vatika Smriti Enclave** (also known as Samriddhi Enclave or Sagarshree Enclave in Shiv Vatika Township) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. This situation arose when a demonstration against renting out a penthouse for short periods proved fatal.
** Shampa Pandey ** (also known as Shampa Pathak Pandey), a ** 38-42 year old software engineer ** working at ** Infosys **, was crushed to death by a vehicle on ** Wednesday night, March 25/26, 2026 ** at around ** 10:30 pm **. She was the mother of two small children. This family recently came to live in this society on ** March 13, 2026 **.
The residents were protesting against the commercial use of **Kuldeep Chaudhary** (an electrical engineer)’s **seventh floor penthouse** as **Airbnb-style rentals**. They had raised concerns about safety and security, as there were often strangers coming and going from outside late at night. A meeting was earlier held to resolve the issue, but when the penthouse was reportedly put on rent again, tensions flared up again.
The dispute escalated when residents allegedly cut off electricity to the penthouse. In response, electricity to the entire building was reportedly cut off, leading to a heated argument and scuffle between the two parties. Kuldeep Chaudhary allegedly called his **18-year-old son, Mohit Chaudhary** (also known as Monish or Mohit) and said he had to “deal with this matter.”
According to eyewitnesses and **CCTV footage**, Mohit came in a **Swift Dzire** car and aggressively drove the car towards the residents gathered in the crowd. He first hit a security guard’s wife (or a female caretaker/staff member), causing her to fall to the ground. When people ran to help him, he allegedly turned the car and hit **Shampa Pandey** hard, causing her to fall under the car. He was immediately taken to Bombay Hospital, but died of his injuries; It is being told that he had suffered a serious head injury. Her husband, Saurabh Pandey, has alleged that it was a deliberate act.
**Police action**: A case of murder has been registered. Kuldeep Chaudhary and his son Mohit Chaudhary have been arrested by Lasudia Police Station (under Town Inspector Taresh Soni) and are in custody. Investigation is ongoing.
Residents have demanded action against commercial misuse of residential penthouses and their removal from rental platforms. It is being told that empty bottles have been found on the terrace, which has further increased the concern.
This tragic incident has highlighted the growing tension in housing societies over short-term rentals, which is impacting safety and community life. According to neighbours, Shampa Pandey’s two young children are still unaware of their mother’s death.
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