Who was Divya Pahuja, the 27-year-old model who was shot dead at Gurugram hotel?

In a shocking development, Divya Pahuja, a 27-year-old model who had recently been granted bail after spending seven years in connection with the alleged fake encounter of Gurugram's notorious gangster, Sandeep Gadoli, was found dead in a Gurugram hotel on Wednesday.

Divya's journey into the underworld began in 2016 at the tender age of 18 when the Mumbai police arrested her for her purported involvement in facilitating the fake encounter of Gadoli, who was not only her then-boyfriend but also a feared gangster. The controversial encounter, orchestrated by Haryana police in a hotel near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, resulted in the arrests of several police officials and Divya herself, accused of divulging Gadoli's whereabouts.

After enduring seven years in jail, Divya was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in June 2023, citing prolonged incarceration and the expected lengthy trial ahead.

However, tragedy struck as Divya was found shot dead in a Gurugram hotel on Tuesday, and the circumstances surrounding her death remain shrouded in mystery.

Police apprehended three individuals, including hotel owner Abhijeet Singh and two employees, in the act of attempting to dispose of Divya's body. Singh alleged that Divya had been extorting money from him, threatening to expose compromising pictures, a claim vehemently denied by her family.

Divya's sister, Naina, lodged a police complaint, accusing Singh of being paid by Gadoli's family to carry out the killing. The complaint raised suspicions about Singh's involvement, pointing out discrepancies in his account of events. CCTV footage from the hotel captured Singh attempting to dispose of the body with the help of his employees.

Police spokesperson Subhash Boken stated, "Accused Abhijeet said that on January 2, he had come to Hotel City Point with Divya Pahuja and wanted to delete his obscene photos from her phone. When Divya Pahuja did not provide the password, Abhijeet shot her dead. Along with Hemraj and Om Prakash, who worked as cleaning and reception workers in the hotel, they kept the body in Abhijeet's BMW car. After this, Abhijeet called his two associates to dispose of the body. Our teams are conducting raids to nab the accused and recover the body."