Taking scooter, not her car and gun, cost Gurgaon gangster’s wife her life

Ashok Rathi, 37, is serving life term for murdering Sushma’s brother and mother. Sushma had lodged a complaint with the police against her husband and his brother for threatening to kill her.

Thirty two-year-old Sushma Rathi, estranged wife of jailed Gurgaon gangster Ashok Rathi who was shot dead on Friday, always kept a revolver in her car and rarely went anywhere without an adult escorting her since February.

A police team conducts an investigation at the crime scene. (HT Photo)

On Friday morning, she made an exception to drop her daughter on a scooter at a bus stop. She paid with her life for that indiscretion.

Sushma was shot dead allegedly by two car-borne assailants moments after her eight-year-old daughter boarded a school bus at Alipur in Bhondsi near Gurgaon, police said.

Passersby informed the police who reached within 10 minutes and rushed her to a hospital.

Doctors declared her brought dead, police said.

An hour later, the police was informed about a Santro car in flames at the Ballabgarh-Sohna Road, 10 kilometres from Bhondsi.

Police suspect the vehicle was used by the suspects and set on fire to avoid detection. Forensic experts collected samples from the charred car.

Ashok Rathi, 37, is serving life term for murdering Sushma’s brother and mother. Sushma had lodged a complaint with the police against her husband and his brother for threatening to kill her.

Sushma and Ashok, who were married in 2004, fell apart after he allegedly tried to grab her ancestral land.

Sushma’s sister, Neetu, named Ashok and his brother Nishu as prime suspects in her police complaint.

Police filed a case for charges of murder, conspiracy, and relevant sections of Arms Act against the brothers.

“We are investigating the case from all angles including revenge and property matter,” said assistant commissioner of police, Sohna, Sukhbir Singh.

Sushma and Ashok married in 2004, against the wishes of her mother, Anguri Devi, and brother, Dharmender Kumar. Their relationship soured when Ashok allegedly began eyeing his in-laws’ property and Sushma objected to it.

Her father had reportedly left two houses and agricultural lands for the family.

On August 9, 2011, Sushma’s mother and brother were kidnapped. A few days later, Dharmender’s body was found at Dhatir in Palwal district. Her mother’s body wasn’t recovered.

Sushma filed a case at Dhatir police station and Ashok was arrested that year before being convicted. Sushma then shifted to her mother’s house in Alipur village.

The gangster

Ashok Rathi has been booked in 28 cases, including murder, attempt to murder, loot and extortion.

He escaped from police custody on March 24, 2014 while he was being taken back to prison from a court hearing, but was rearrested the next day from the hills behind BSF camp on Sohna Road.

The Rathi gang was active in Gurgaon and parts of neighbouring Delhi before his arrest in 2011.