Nikki Yadav, a resident of Jhajjar, Haryana, was strangled to death by her alleged live-in partner Sahil Gahlot aka Sahil Gehlot in 2023. Reportedly, after strangling her to death, Sahil stuffed her body inside a refrigerator at his dhaba in Southwest Delhi and married another woman the same day.
Wiki/Biography
Nikki Yadav was born in 2000 (age 23 years; at the time of death). She pursued a Master of Arts in English (Honors) at Galgotia College of Engineering and Technology (GCET) in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 6″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Nikki Yadav with Sahil Gahlot
Family
She belonged to a family in Kheri Khumar village of Jhajjar, Haryana.
Parents & Siblings
Her father, Sunil Dutt Yadav, runs a motor repair business in Gurugram. Nikki was the eldest among three siblings.
Nikki Yadav’s father, Sunil Yadav
Relationships/Affairs
Sahil Gahlot
Nikki Yadav met Sahil Gahlot (Gehlot) in 2018 when they used to travel by the same bus for their respective tuition classes. Sahil was preparing for the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) examination at Career Point Coaching Centre at Uttam Nagar, West Delhi, while Nikki was preparing for the medical entrance examination at Akash Institute in an area of Uttam Nagar. Nikki and Sahil started going to their respective tuition classes together and eventually, they both fell in love. According to some sources, they later started living in an apartment together, but they went back to their parents during the coronavirus pandemic. After the restrictions were lifted, they again went back into a live-in relationship.
Nikki Yadav and Sahil Gahlot
Nikki’s father, Sunil Yadav, claimed that Nikki never lived in a live-in relationship with Sahil Gahlot as she used to live in a rented flat in Bindapur, New Delhi with one of her younger sisters, who was pursuing a Master of Commerce at a college in New Delhi.
College Sweethearts
After an unsuccessful attempt in the examinations, Nikki and Sahil decided to take admission to the Galgotias College of Engineering & Technology (GCET) in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh; Nikki pursued a Master of Arts in English (Honors), while Sahil studied a course in pharmacy.
An Argument Concerning a Woman
Neither Nikki nor Sahil’s family knew about their relationship; however, according to some sources, Sahil’s parents were somewhere aware of his relationship with Nikki, which they kept opposing as both Nikki and Sahil belonged to different castes of Hinduism. In December 2022, Sahil’s parents fixed his marriage to another woman which Nikki was not aware of. His engagement was fixed on 9 February 2023 and the marriage was fixed on 10 February 2023. On the day of Sahil’s marriage, i.e., 10 February 2023, Nikki learnt about Sahil’s wedding from his cousins since she was in touch with them. When Sahil visited Nikki at the apartment at 1:30 am on the same day, she confronted him about his wedding and pressurised him to break it off; moreover, Nikki persuaded him to leave the city with her. According to some sources, Nikki, after learning about Sahil’s marriage, put a condition of either getting eloped or committing suicide together.
Trip to Himachal Pradesh – A Fresh Start or a Pawn?
According to some sources, Nikki had planned to leave for Goa the same day at around 7 am for which she already had booked tickets. While persuading Sahil to leave the city with her, Nikki asked him to come to Goa along with her; however, Sahil could not get a ticket to Goa at the last moment. Reportedly, after involving in a long heated argument, Nikki and Sahil planned to elope and decided to go to Himachal Pradesh instead of Goa. Nikki, along with Sahil, left for Himachal Pradesh and drove to Anand Vihar ISBT, where they were told that busses for Himachal Pradesh leave from Kashmere Gate ISBT. It was around 7:15 am when they started heading to the Kashmere Gate ISBT in a white Hyundai Verna, which belonged to one of Sahil’s cousins. Sahil, meanwhile, was under pressure as he was getting various calls from his mother for attending rituals, which were lined up before his wedding ceremony; Nikki, reportedly, showed disagreement when Sahil told her about going back to his home, and it eventually turned into a fight.
The white Hyundai Verna used by Sahil Gahlot
Death
The argument between Nikki and Sahil escalated near Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi after which Sahil strangled her to death using a data cable (mobile charger). After murdering Nikki, Sahil put the seatbelt around Nikki’s body and switched off her mobile phone. He then drove 40 kilometres ahead to Mitraon village in Najafgarh in Southwest Delhi, where is hid Nikki’s body in a refrigerator at a dhaba named ‘Khao Piyo Dhaba’ owned by him; the dhaba was shut for the last two years.
The dhaba where Sahil Gahlot allegedly hid Nikki’s body in a refrigerator
He then went back to his house in Mitraon village to get married to the woman he got engaged to a day before.
Sahil Gahlot’s wedding picture
The Trace and Arrest of Sahil Gahlot
Reportedly, Nikki’s father, Sunil Dutt Yadav, could not reach Nikki since 11 February 2023 as her mobile phone was switched off. Sunil Yadav asked his younger daughter who used to live with Nikki in Bindapur, New Delhi about Nikki and asked her to contact all her friends. Nikki’s younger sister contacted all of Nikki’s friends one of which told her that she was last seen with Sahil Gahlot. Nikki’s younger sister found Sahil’s phone number and gave it to her father. Sunil Yadav contacted Sahil and asked him if he had seen Nikki. Sahil, on the other hand, tried to mislead Nikki’s father and told him that Nikki had gone to Dehradun and Mussoorie, while he was busy with his wedding preparations. While telling about this in an interview, Nikki’s father, Sunil Yadav, said,
When I couldn’t reach her number, I contacted her friend who informed us that she was last seen with Sahil Gehlot. When I called him, he kept misleading me. He kept saying that she had gone to Dehradun and Mussoorie for a trip. Next, when I reached out to his family, they said they didn’t know anything about Nikki and that he (Sahil) was busy with the wedding.”
On 14 February 2023, police officials got a tip about this murder, which took place in Najafgarh by a dhaba owner; however, according to some sources, a local resident informed police officials about Yadav’s disappearance and the involvement of Sahil Galhot in this case following which the officials informed Sunil Yadav, Nikki’s father, about her death. Reportedly, the police formed a team under Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Satish Kumar to investigate the case. On reaching Gahlot’s house in Mitraon village, the officials found no one.
Sahil Gahlot’s house in Mitraon village, Najafgarh, Southwest Delhi
After investigation, Gahlot was arrested from the nearby Kair village crossing in Delhi on 15 February 2023.
Sahil Gahlot (centre), along with police officials, after his arrest in New Delhi
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Satish Kumar talked about the case in an interview and said,
A police informer had informed our team that there was something fishy on the part of Gehlot and he may have killed his girlfriend, who was not seen since February 10. We verified the information, took Gehlot into custody and interrogated him during which he confessed to the murder and accompanied us to the dhaba from where the body was recovered from the fridge.”
Sahil Gahlot (right), along with a crime branch official, at the crime scene
Some sources, on the other hand, claim that Gahlot’s father informed Sunil Yadav, Nikki’s father, about Nikki’s death and said that they had handed over Sahil to the police after learning about the crime Sahil had committed.
His father picked up the call but said they are busy with the wedding. In the evening, his father told me that something wrong had happened. He said that they have handed him (Sahil) over to the police after he confessed to killing her. I was confused but the police called me after some time.”
An FIR was filed against Sahil Gahlot under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).
Final Rites
Nikki’s body was sent for post-mortem at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Delhi and was later handed over to Nikki’s family. On 15 February 2023, her body was brought to her village Kheri Khumar, where her cremation was held.
Was Nikki Yadav’s Murder Predetermined?
In an interview, Nikki’s father, Sunil Yadav, claimed that Sahil Gahlot’s parents were also involved in his daughter’s murder case. According to Sunil Yadav, when he asked Sahil’s father, on a call, whether Nikki was alive or dead, Sahil’s father replied that he should assume his daughter, Nikki, was dead. While talking about this in the interview, Sunil Yadav demanded the death sentence for the accused.
Facts/Trivia
- In an interview, Nikki’s father, Sunil Yadav, revealed that Nikki wanted to pursue a PhD. and become a professor. He added that while she was pursuing a master’s degree at Galgotia College of Engineering and Technology (GCET) in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, she often visited her home on weekends. Sunil further said that Nikki used to call her mother from Greater Noida every day. While talking about this in an interview, Sunil Yadav said,
She was doing an MA in English from Noida’s Galgotias University and wanted to become a Professor after completing PhD. All her dreams have been snatched. She last visited the house three weeks ago; she would often drop by on weekends… I couldn’t bear to look at her body. She was always a class topper and a responsible child. We were so proud of her. She had big dreams and her mother and I supported all she did. Even after going to college, she would call her mother every day and talk about her life.” - Nikki’s family claimed that they knew Sahil as one of Nikki’s friends from college.
- Nikki’s father, Sunil Yadav, in an interview claimed that Nikki was not living in a live-in relationship with Sahil Gahlot, and she was living with one of her younger sisters in a rented flat in Bindapur, New Delhi.
- As per a report from the Crime Branch, Sahil Gahlot erased all the data and chats that belonged to him from Nikki’s phone as he believed it to be evidence against him, showing all the chats about the fights they had earlier.