New Delhi: A tragic love triangle turned deadly in central Delhi’s Nabi Karim area on Saturday night, leaving a pregnant woman and her former live-in partner dead, and her husband critically injured. Police said the crime stemmed from an ongoing dispute over the paternity of the unborn child.
The victim, Shalini (22), was attacked by her former partner Aashu (34), a local history-sheeter, while she was meeting her mother on Qutub Road with her husband Aakash (23). Consumed by rage and jealousy, Aashu allegedly lunged at her with a knife, stabbing her multiple times and disfiguring her face. When Aakash tried to intervene, Aashu turned the weapon on him.
In a desperate act of defense, Aakash overpowered the attacker and stabbed him with the same knife — but by then, it was too late for Shalini. Both Shalini and Aashu were declared dead on arrival at the hospital, while Aakash was admitted in critical condition.
Police received a PCR call at 10:15 pm, and teams rushed to the scene. “Shalini was sitting in an e-rickshaw when Aashu attacked. Her brother helped take both her and Aakash to the hospital. Aashu was also taken there by police, but doctors declared both him and Shalini dead,” said DCP (Central) Nidhin Valsan.
According to Shalini’s mother Sheila, the couple had two children. During a rough patch in her marriage, Shalini had briefly lived with Aashu outside Delhi. She later reconciled with Aakash and returned home — a move that Aashu could not accept. Police said Aashu claimed to be the father of Shalini’s unborn child, which became the key trigger for the confrontation.
Both Aakash and Aashu worked as transporters. Police confirmed that Aashu had a criminal history, with at least three previous cases registered against him.
An FIR under BNS sections related to murder has been registered. Investigators have recorded statements from family members of all three individuals and seized their mobile phones for forensic analysis. Police said further legal action will follow once Aakash recovers from his injuries.
