Ahmedabad Police file case of murder-suicide against nephew of Cong MP

The death of a 30-year-old woman from the licensed revolver of her husband who later shot himself at their residence in Bodakdev late on Tuesday night, has been termed as murder and subsequent suicide by the police.

The incident occurred between 10.30 pm on January 21 and 12.12 am on January 22 at a flat in NRI Tower, near Parijat Bungalow in Bodakdev. The deceased have been identified as Rajeshwariba Gohil (30) and her husband Yashkumarsinhji Gohil (35), nephew of Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil. The couple had been married for barely two months, police said.

According to the findings of the inquest and subsequent investigation, Yashkumarsinhji allegedly shot his wife in the back of the head with his licensed revolver inside their bedroom. After the shooting, he called the 108 emergency service. When the ambulance staff arrived, Rajeshwariba was declared dead. Soon after, Yashkumarsinhji shot himself in the head with the same weapon, leading to his death.

An accidental death case was initially registered at the Vastrapur police station under relevant provisions of the BNS. However, the investigation was later taken over by senior officers, including the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad city, as per procedure.

Post-mortem examinations of both bodies were conducted by a panel of doctors at the Civil Hospital in Asarwa. The medical opinion stated that the cause of death in both cases was “shock and haemorrhage due to head injury caused by discharge of a firearm”.

During the investigation, police established that the revolver used in the incident was legally licensed to Yashkumarsinhji, with the licence issued in Bhavnagar district. Investigators ruled out the possibility of accidental firing, noting that the trigger of the revolver requires deliberate pressure to discharge a round. It was also found that the weapon contained only two rounds, both of which were fired during the incident.

“Based on the forensic evidence, post-mortem reports and technical examination of the firearm, it is clear that the husband intentionally shot his wife and subsequently died by suicide,” a senior police officer said.

Following the conclusion of the inquest, police have registered a case under Section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section of the Arms Act, 1959, against the deceased husband. Further procedural investigation is being carried out by the Vastrapur police under the supervision of senior officers, police said.