In a major breakthrough in the murder of Sanjauli school director Manisha Mittal, district police arrested two professional shooters from Rohtak, Haryana, within 39 hours of the crime. The woman was shot dead on Saturday near the gate of Saraswati Paradise International Public School at Housing Board Colony in Sanjauli.
The accused have been identified as Ashish Ahlawat, 22, a resident of Dujana village in Jhajjar district, Haryana, and Deepak, 25, a resident of Sunaria Khurd in Rohtak district, Haryana.
Addressing a press conference here, Abhishek Dhiman, ASP, Shimla, said both accused arrived in Shimla from Haryana in a white Swift car bearing a Haryana registration number. However, they had pasted a forged Himachal Pradesh number plate, HP 10, to mislead police.
Dhiman said the accused fired multiple rounds at Manisha Mittal with country-made pistols on June 13, killing her on the spot. “The accused then immediately fled. To evade police, they used link roads to avoid barriers and reached Haryana,” he said.
“Taking swift action, special teams were constituted to nab the accused and an investigation was launched. Police analysed technical and digital evidence and examined CCTV footage to trace them. The investigation led police to Haryana, where the accused were arrested. Two country-made pistols were also recovered from their possession,” the ASP added.
He further said both accused are gangsters with prior criminal records. “A case under Section 308, extortion, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, has been registered against Ashish. Cases under the Arms Act, extortion, and voluntarily causing hurt have been registered against Deepak. Both were using virtual numbers for communication,” he said.
Replying to questions on allegations that police did not act on complaints filed by the deceased woman, Dhiman said appropriate action was taken. He said most complaints were civil in nature, such as allegations of tampering with the society’s register, and police had taken action. In one complaint where the woman alleged assault, a kalandra was filed in court.
Legal proceedings are underway. The accused will be brought to Shimla and produced in court for further action. The ASP said police are also questioning Manisha Mittal’s brother, against whom she had made serious allegations in a property dispute.
