From Village Roads to SWAT Commando: Kajal's Inspiring Journey Cut Short
In the quiet hours before dawn in Badi village, Haryana's Sonipat district, a remarkable ritual unfolded daily. While most residents slept, Meena would push her bicycle onto Garhi Kesari road, her daughter Kajal sprinting and jumping ahead as training. Meena pedaled furiously behind, breathless but determined. Having dropped out of school at 14 to support her family, Meena vowed her daughter would never face such educational deprivation.
A Shelf of Dreams and Tragic Irony
Today, Meena sits on a thin mattress surrounded by family women, her eyes frequently drifting toward a shelf holding three trophies. Two commemorate Kajal's achievements as a national-level basketball player, while the third was awarded by the gram panchayat when she joined Delhi Police in 2022. The shelf now stands as a heartbreaking memorial.
Just one week ago, Kajal Chaudhary (27), a special cell SWAT commando, died after being allegedly battered with a dumbbell by her husband Ankur, a clerk in the ministry of defence, on January 22. She was four months pregnant. Police have registered cases of murder and dowry death, arrested Ankur, and sent him to judicial custody while investigating her in-laws' potential involvement.
The tragedy carries haunting irony. Last year, Kajal visited her college best friend who had been pushed off a terrace allegedly by her husband, sustaining spinal injuries. Now that friend has returned to Badi to mourn Kajal.
The Making of an Athlete and Protector
Kajal's athletic prowess first emerged at Govt Model Sanskriti Senior Secondary School in Gannaur, where she represented her school nationally in basketball. She pursued BSc in computer science at Arya College in Panipat, taking additional computer courses and English-speaking classes for a year.
Her father Rakesh worked as a daily-wage laborer while Meena took embroidery unit jobs to make ends meet. "Before my job consumed my time, I would take Kajal out on my cycle at dawn's first light. We practiced running and long jump every single day. I never permitted her to miss practice," a grieving Meena recalls.
That discipline propelled Kajal to Delhi, where after police selection, she trained at Jharoda and qualified as a commando. Villagers remember her as limitless. "She gave her phone number to local girls saying, 'If you're ever in trouble, call me. I'll come,'" a neighbor recounts. Her aunt Rekha adds that Kajal distributed textbooks and advised young girls on competitive exam preparation.
Behind Closed Doors: A Marriage Turns Deadly
What nobody initially perceived was the suffering unfolding behind closed doors after her marriage. Kajal met Ankur, a Gannaur resident, during college years, dating him for years with family approval. "Ankur's father had retired from a public sector bank. He was educated with a government job. We considered it a good match," relatives explain.
The first shock arrived fifteen days pre-wedding when Ankur's family demanded ₹1.5 lakh cash. Rakesh and Meena struggled but arranged the money, believing planned jewelry would satisfy in-laws.
Following their November 23, 2023 wedding, new demands emerged—this time for a car, according to family claims. Pressure allegedly intensified over eight months, forcing Kajal to take multiple salary-backed loans until finances were completely exhausted.
Relatives allege Kajal endured humiliation and harassment throughout marriage's first three years. Merely fifteen days after giving birth, while advised strict bed rest and still recovering physically and emotionally, in-laws allegedly threw her out midnight. "Separated from her newborn, Kajal called me crying. I told her to come home immediately," Meena states. After Ankur apologized, fell at in-laws' feet, and begged her return, Kajal went back against parental wishes.
"She would leave for duty at 6 AM, and after full-day work, was expected to return to Gannaur solely for household chores. Even during pregnancy, her in-laws granted no rest," Meena reveals.
Kajal was allegedly expelled again last August during her second pregnancy. Her parents remained unaware of physical violence's full extent.
Unfulfilled Dreams and a Motherless Child
Throughout Meena's conversation, Kajal's one-year-old son played in his grandmother's lap, too young to comprehend he'll never see his mother again. "He hasn't even learned to say 'mumma.' Kajal discussed how excited she was to hear his first word. He would even attempt polishing her shoes before work," Meena says, clutching the boy tightly.
Kajal's journey was destined to extend beyond commando duties. "She planned to prepare for UPSC exams once her son began schooling. She aspired to become an IAS officer," her father Rakesh discloses. That dream will remain tragically unfulfilled.
