In a grim turn of events that has left the locals in disbelief, a 23-year-old man was found shot dead inside his own car parked along a highway in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The victim, identified as Tushar Tyagi, was discovered near the Panchi underpass in the Khar Khoda area late at night on June 1.
Within 24 hours of the discovery, local police successfully apprehended the primary suspect in the case, who turned out to be Tushar’s own father, Sunder Tyagi.
The investigation, launched following a distress call to the police’s Dial-112 emergency service, revealed a disturbing motive rooted in deep-seated family animosity. According to investigators, Sunder Tyagi had harboured a long-standing suspicion that his son had orchestrated a plot to have him killed, allegedly paying a “contract fee” of Rs 10 lakh to hitmen to settle a lingering family dispute. Sunder further alleged that Tushar had frequently engaged in violent behaviour toward other family members, creating a climate of fear and hostility within their household.
Unravelling the Crime
The breakthrough in the case came after police meticulously analysed technical evidence, including CCTV footage from various points along the victim’s route. The surveillance showed the victim’s SUV and a separate car belonging to the accused moving in tandem toward the Kaili area shortly before the crime. During interrogation, it emerged that Sunder Tyagi had travelled from Dehradun to Kankerkhera on the day of the incident, later joining his son in the vehicle. Police believe that while inside the SUV, Sunder shot his son dead before abandoning the vehicle and the body near the underpass and fleeing the scene with an accomplice, Amit alias Vedwan.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Abhijeet Kumar confirmed that both Sunder Tyagi and his associate, Amit, were arrested on Tuesday.
Sunder Tyagi is known to local authorities as a “history-sheeter,” a person with an extensive criminal record who has faced multiple charges in the past, including murder, at the Hapur Dehat police station.
Seeking Justice
The murder case was officially registered following a complaint filed by the victim’s wife, Shikha. In response to the brutality of the crime, the Senior Superintendent of Police had constituted three specialised teams to pursue the suspects and gather forensic evidence. While two individuals have been taken into custody, authorities have stated that efforts are still underway to track down at least one other person suspected of being involved in the conspiracy. As the legal process begins, the shocking revelation of a father allegedly turning on his son has cast a dark shadow over the Meerut community, leaving residents grappling with the tragic end of a young life and the cold reality of the accusations against the elder Tyagi.
