SHIMLA: A bitter property dispute between siblings is emerging as the primary motive behind the murder of Meenakshi Mittal, the 41-year-old director and administrator of Saraswati Paradise International School in Sanjauli, police said. Mittal was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Saturday evening.
The victim, a resident of Rewari in Haryana, had recently posted a video on her social media account alleging that her brother had been threatening her over a long-standing property dispute. In the video, Mittal claimed her life was in danger and that her brother had repeatedly threatened to kill her. She had also raised the matter during a press conference in April.
According to Mittal’s allegations, the school was owned by her father. Following his demise, her brother was reportedly preventing her from claiming her rightful share of the property. For the past few months, Mittal had been living on the school premises with her daughter and had also lodged a formal complaint regarding the dispute with the district police.
The incident took place on Saturday evening near the school’s main gate. Several assailants fired multiple shots at Mittal while she was returning to the school after visiting a nearby shop. She died on the spot.
A police team arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting to inspect the site and launch an investigation. Following directives from Shimla Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Singh, special police teams have been constituted to trace and apprehend the attackers.
The crime scene has been sealed, and police personnel have been deployed to gather evidence and question eyewitnesses. Investigators are currently scanning CCTV footage from the area for vital leads. A forensic team was also called in to assist with the investigation.
No suspects have been identified or arrested yet, more than 12 hours after the incident.
