Dr Shashwat Pandey murder: Nearly a decade later, suspect still a ghost, victim's family still seeking closure

Time of India

2 days ago

On the night of August 24, 2017, Dr Shashwat Pandey, a 26-year-old radiologist, was on emergency duty at St Stephen's Hospital in north Delhi when he was brutally murdered, reported
TOI.
The next morning, hospital staff discovered his lifeless body around 8 am. His lungs were punctured, his throat was slit, and his genitals were mutilated.
The prime suspect immediately identified was his colleague,
Dr Suyash Gupta
, who went missing following the incident. Eight years later, Gupta remains untraceable, with authorities believing he fled abroad after briefly crossing into Nepal.
Complaints & obsessive behaviour
Pandey had joined St Stephen's Hospital in 2015 to pursue specialization in radiology. By February 2016, complaints were lodged against Gupta for stalking, harassment, and assault.
According to the report, an internal inquiry submitted a report holding Gupta responsible for mental harassment and violent behavior toward Pandey.
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Gupta had even shifted his residence to a building adjacent to Pandey's home in Karol Bagh and frequently visited Pandey's flat uninvited, sometimes causing disturbances in front of friends. Gupta's personal notebook contained troubling writings, including phrases such as 'Forgetting you is not happening, and forgetting me — I won't let that happen,' reflecting an obsessive and possessive mindset. Police and CBI investigations later revealed a web of rejection, obsession, and escalating aggression that culminated in the murder.
Hospital staff, including nurses, provided testimonies of Gupta's aggressive conduct. He believed Pandey had become close to a nurse and was deliberately avoiding him. A month prior to the murder, Gupta even prevented Pandey from performing a CT-guided biopsy on a patient, which led to a confrontation.
As a result, Gupta was suspended, and an inquiry was initiated. On Valentine's Day 2017, he gave the hospital an undertaking of good behavior in the presence of his parents.
Evidence & investigation
CCTV footage established that Pandey was in Room No. 30 at the hospital, and the last person to enter the room using the electronic card was Gupta. Police recovered Gupta's car (UP 82N 35**) from the Anand Vihar ISBT exit gate on August 25.
Over 100 police teams conducted raids across Etah, Agra, Jaipur, Bhopal, Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Gwalior, Sitapur, Gola, Palia, Dhangadhi, Banbasha, and other border points with Nepal. Investigators confirmed that Gupta had checked into a hotel in Haridwar on August 28 under a false identity, Rajeev Pandey, staying from 3:30 am to 9:15 am.
His bank accounts with SBI, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, and Indian Overseas Bank remained active, with the last withdrawal made in November 2017. The accounts also revealed a wire transfer of ₹4.5 lakh from his father shortly before the murder,
TOI
further reported.
Authorities obtained arrival and departure records from the Central Foreigners Bureau, showing Gupta's last recorded travel before the murder in April 2017, after which he used forged identities. Investigators even attempted to track his movements through online shopping portals and gaming devices, including a Sony PlayStation 4, as Gupta was known to be a gaming enthusiast.
The special investigating team, composed of six inspectors, 13 sub-inspectors, 14 assistant sub-inspectors, and 16 head constables and constables, increased the initial reward for information on Gupta from ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh. Non-bailable warrants were issued, and lookout circulars were circulated, but Gupta vanished without a trace.
CBI involvement & case status
In August 2018, the case was transferred to the CBI, which increased the reward for information to ₹7 lakh. A chargesheet was filed in 2020, though the investigation remains open.
Despite extensive efforts to locate him, including tracking digital footprints, bank activity, and travel history, Gupta continues to evade authorities. Eight years after the murder, justice for Dr Shashwat Pandey remains elusive, leaving his family without closure.