‘Order to vacate house sparked bloodshed’: Sons hire hitmen to murder ex-IAF officer; shot in head in chilling attack

GHAZIABAD: The latest flashpoint in a bitter family feud was the decision of former Indian Air Force officer Yogesh Kumar to sell his house. “Kumar had asked both his sons to vacate the house,” said Loni ACP Siddharth Gautam, setting off a chain of events that ended in his murder the day after Christmas.

Police have identified the killers as a Kaushambi-based constable, Naveen Kumar, and a 32-year-old man from Bulandshahr, both hired by Kumar’s sons, Nitesh and Guddu.

The two sons allegedly provided the hitmen with Rs 5 lakh to carry out the attack. Naveen Kumar and the sons are currently absconding. The Bulandshahr man, who had a criminal past as a juvenile, has been arrested.

The arrested man had been convicted in the infamous 2008 Barari massacre, in which he killed seven members of his uncle’s family, including a pregnant aunt and a two-year-old cousin. At the time, he was just 15 and sent to a correction home, while his father, the main accused, was sentenced to death in 2016. He has been living in Ghaziabad for several years and was a neighbour of Kumar in Ashok Vihar, Loni.

Police said the accused had a personal grudge against Kumar, including disputes over feeding stray dogs in the locality, which made him an easy target for Nitesh and Guddu’s plan.

Kumar had retired as an assistant warrant officer on July 31 last year. Police said the sons were motivated by a desire to access their father’s “hefty savings” and feared losing control over the property.

According to police, the murder was meticulously planned. CCTV footage showed the accused and Naveen riding a Hero Xtreme bike on the day of the crime, their faces masked. Although the bike’s number plate had been removed, police traced its owner, who revealed it had been borrowed “to go shopping.” The accused was arrested from his residence, where he lives with his wife and two children. Naveen and the sons remain at large.

ACP Gautam detailed the attack: “Nitesh and Guddu planned the murder with the accused on the terrace of Kumar’s house. The accused knew Naveen, who is a UP Police constable but had been on leave since August 2025. On the day of the murder, the accused hit Kumar with an iron rod. When Kumar fell to the ground, Naveen shot him in the head first. The accused fired a second bullet.” The attack occurred just 50 meters from Kumar’s house.

An FIR has been registered at Loni police station, invoking murder charges along with sections of the Arms Act. Police are continuing the investigation to apprehend the remaining accused and probe whether the attack was premeditated or influenced by other disputes.