Indian para athlete shot dead in Ghaziabad, longtime friend arrested

The 25-year-old national-level para athlete Chirag Tyagi was allegedly shot dead by a fellow competitor and longtime friend in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

The murder occurred just months before Tyagi was set to represent India at the upcoming Para Asian Games in Japan.

Tyagi’s body was recovered by the police from the Sai Kunj area on Saturday afternoon, following a missing person complaint filed by his family.

Preliminary investigations confirm he died of gunshot wounds.

According to the police, Tyagi and the accused, identified as Khatik, both competed in the visually impaired category and shared a close personal bond.

Tyagi reportedly trusted Khatik blindly, even sharing his personal account details with him.

However, the relationship soured after Tyagi filed a formal complaint regarding the verification of Khatik’s documents.

This complaint ultimately led to Khatik’s disqualification from athletic competitions.

Investigators believe this disqualification bred deep resentment, triggering the fatal attack.

Tyagi was widely regarded as one of India’s brightest emerging para-sports talents.

He had recently clinched a gold medal in the 400-metre sprint at the National Para Athletics Championship in Bengaluru, which secured his qualification for the Para Asian Games this October.

“His death comes at a time when he was preparing for the biggest competition of his career, leaving his family, teammates, and supporters in deep mourning,” an official stated.

The police have arrested Khatik and registered a formal murder case against him.

Law enforcement teams are currently working to recover the murder weapon and are investigating if any accomplices were involved.

Officials noted that further details regarding the timeline of the crime will be clarified once the post-mortem report is released.