International para-athlete Chirag Tyagi shot dead in Ghaziabad; fellow athlete arrested

International Indian para-athlete Chirag Tyagi was shot dead in Ghaziabad on Saturday.

Chirag was allegedly murdered by fellow para-athlete Yash Khatik. At the time of the incident, Chirag was returning home after winning a gold medal at the Indian Open Para Athletics International Championship in Bengaluru. This victory had qualified him for the upcoming Asian Para Games.

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Chirag’s body was found in Sai Upvan in the Hindon area. He had sustained a bullet injury to his back. A resident of Ghaziabad, Chirag competed in the 100-metre and 400-metre races and brought glory to the country through his outstanding performances at national and international events.

ACP Upasana Pandey said on Sunday that, based on CCTV footage, the police detained Yash Khatik, who later confessed to the murder during interrogation.

According to the police, the investigation and examination of CCTV footage revealed that Chirag and a friend had travelled from Delhi to Hindon in a cab. They later went to Sai Upvan, where Chirag was murdered. Based on the CCTV evidence, police detained Yash Khatik, a resident of Muradnagar.

DCP Dhawal Jaiswal said, “During interrogation, Yash Khatik revealed that he is also a para-athlete and had previously trained with Chirag Tyagi. They had participated in competitions together. During a document verification process, Chirag filed a complaint against Yash, which resulted in the cancellation of Yash’s qualification. Yash was upset over the matter.”

Police said that, seeking revenge, Yash allegedly shot Chirag Tyagi with a pistol, killing him on the spot. Based on a complaint lodged by Chirag’s family, a case of murder has been registered. Efforts are underway to recover the weapon used in the crime on the basis of information provided by the accused.

Chirag had participated in the 8th Indian Open Para Athletics International Championship, held from May 26 to 28 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

He won a gold medal in the 400 metres and a silver medal in the 1,500 metres at the championship, earning qualification for the Asian Para Games scheduled to be held in Japan from October 18 to 24.