New Delhi: On Saturday morning, the Tyagi house was decorated to welcome home their hero, Chirag, who had returned from Japan after qualifying for the Para Asian Games. Sportspersons from the village, who had grown up watching para sprinter Chirag, stood in the hot sun, waiting to catch a glimpse of him. But he did not return.
The Tyagis kept calling 24-year-old Chirag’s phone, but there was no response. Several hours later, the police asked them to reach MMG Hospital as Chirag was injured. “When we reached MMC, we found he had already passed away,” Praveen Raj Tyagi, Chirag’s uncle, told ThePrint.
The Ghaziabad Police Monday said two people—another para-athlete Yash Khatik, 22, and Gagan Tyagi, 23—were arrested in connection with Chirag’s murder.
In a press conference Monday, DCP (city) Dhawal Jaiswal said the arrests followed a complaint from Chirag’s uncle Rajesh Tyagi, who alleged that Yash Khatik had shot and killed the para-athlete. A case of murder and conspiracy has been registered.
The DCP said the Kotwali Nagar Police team went through CCTV and surveillance footage, and intelligence inputs. “The investigation revealed that the incident was executed as part of a criminal conspiracy involving the accused Yash Khatik, along with co-accused Gagan Tyagi and Abhay alias Abhinav,” he said. While the first two are in custody, police are looking for Abhay.
How the murder was carried out
During interrogation, the DCP said the accused, Yash Khatik, said “Chirag Tyagi and I used to practice as para-athletes (400-meter race) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. Chirag Tyagi had been selected for the Asian Games. My medical report regarding my eyesight was scheduled to be sent to Germany, but Chirag sabotaged it. Consequently, I failed to secure a selection.”
Yash also allegedly revealed: “Chirag continued to win medals consistently, which fostered a sense of inferiority in me and ruined my career. I conspired with my associate, Gagan Tyagi, to murder Chirag. Gagan Tyagi informed me that his associate, Abhay, a resident of Bhikanpur, would procure and provide a pistol. Subsequently, Abhay handed the pistol over to me near HRID College, Duhai.”
On 29 May, Chirag Tyagi returned from practice in Bangalore after qualifying in Japan.
“On 30 May, around 9 am, we traveled from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to Sai Upvan, Ghaziabad, by taxi. I had the pistol and ammunition. In accordance with our plan, at a secluded spot within Sai Upvan, I shot Chirag Tyagi once from behind; the bullet struck him in the head. After being shot, Chirag stumbled a short distance; I immediately fired a second shot, which struck him in the back, and he collapsed on the spot. We took Chirag’s mobile phone and traveled to Muradnagar via an auto-rickshaw. On the way, we removed the SIM card and threw Chirag’s mobile phone into a drain. We also withdrew Rs 62,000 from Chirag Tyagi’s Indian Bank account to pay for the pistol. I concealed the remaining cash and the pistol near my residence,” the accused allegedly revealed to the police.
The DCP said Yash was also a paralympic athlete and had previously trained alongside Chirag. “Both competed in athletics within the ‘blind’ category. Chirag had previously filed a complaint against the suspect regarding document verification, which resulted in the cancellation of the latter’s qualification. Yash had been harbouring resentment over this matter. Driven by a motive for revenge, he shot and killed Chirag Tyagi using a pistol,” he said.
‘Was our inspiration’
Praveen Raj Tyagi, Chirag’s uncle said: “He was like our gaon ka beta. He put Muradnagar on the map. Since childhood, he has been known as toofan (storm). He was fast, one couldn’t catch hold of him. But Chirag was shy. He wouldn’t talk to anybody, but was always ready to help people out. This good deed led to his killing…”
Tyagi said Chirag had been a role model for his entire school. No matter how busy his schedule, he would make time to be present at all annual school events.
“Chirag had only one dream: To enter the Olympics. Earlier, he was interested in Judo. During sports, Chirag would be running on the field. We had to make sure he had his daily dose of glucose. He sacrificed every single thing for that. He would either be on the field or inside his room. He never gave up,” Tyagi adds.
“His eyesight was very weak. We consulted many doctors, sought many treatments, but nothing helped. Finally, our coach told us that Chirag should compete in the para-athlete category,” his uncle said.
Praveen Tyagi says the entire family is now in shock. “We found out that Yash was behind the murder. We can’t piece it together. Why would Yash kill him? Chirag would train Yash. Chirag would earn Rs 20,000 from Sports Authority of India, and he would make sure Rs 10,000 went into Yash’s bank account. We trusted Yash like our own child. He would stay at home with us. What kind of jealousy leads to something like this?”
(Edited by Viny Mishra)