Divya Pahuja was a 27-year-old former model and a key accused in the alleged fake encounter of Gurgaon gangster Sandeep Gadoli, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants at a hotel in Gurugram on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.
Pahuja, who hailed from a humble background and was the daughter of a vegetable seller, had aspired to become a model and an actress since her childhood. She had participated in several beauty pageants and fashion shows and had also appeared in some music videos and advertisements.
However, her life took a dramatic turn when she got involved with Gadoli, a notorious gangster, who was wanted in several cases of murder, extortion and robbery. Gadoli, who was the leader of one of the most powerful gangs in Gurgaon, had a long-standing feud with another gangster, Binder Gujjar, who was allegedly behind the encounter plot.
Pahuja had met Gadoli through a common friend in 2015 and had fallen in love with him. She had accompanied him to Mumbai in February 2016, where they stayed at a hotel near the Mumbai airport. On February 7, 2016, a team of the Haryana Police, acting on a tip-off, barged into their hotel room and shot Gadoli dead. Pahuja, who was present at the spot, was arrested and booked for criminal conspiracy and murder.
Pahuja had claimed that she was innocent and had no role in the encounter. She had also alleged that she was tortured and sexually harassed by the police during custody. She had moved the Bombay High Court for bail several times, but her pleas were rejected. However, in June 2023, the high court granted her bail, citing her extended custody and the unlikelihood of the trial concluding soon. The court had imposed certain conditions on her release, such as reporting to the Mumbai Crime Branch every fortnight and not leaving the city without permission.
Pahuja's murder has once again raised questions over the security of the witnesses and the accused in the Gadoli encounter case, which is still pending in the court. The case has also exposed the nexus between the police and the underworld in the region.
The police suspect that Pahuja's murder was a revenge killing by Gadoli's rivals, who wanted to eliminate her as she was a crucial witness in the case. The police are probing the possible involvement of Gujjar's gang or any other gang in the murder. They are also questioning Pahuja's friend, Amit Kumar, who was injured in the attack and is said to be a property dealer and a relative of a BJP leader. The police are trying to ascertain the motive behind his presence at the hotel with Pahuja and whether he had any links with the gangsters.