SHIMLA — Manisha Mittal knew the killers were coming. She knew her life was on the line, and she openly begged the police to save her. But her cries for help were not enough.
On Saturday evening, at around 6:50 PM, the 41-year-old school executive was brutally shot dead right outside the gates of the Saraswati Paradise International Public School in Shimla’s Sanjauli area. Two attackers on a motorbike cornered her, fired multiple bullets into her body, and sped away.
Manisha died on the spot, leaving behind her minor daughter, who had been living with her on the school premises for the past month and a half.
But the most tragic part of the story is not just how she died—it is that it could have been prevented.
Hours before she was murdered, Manisha posted a chilling video online. It was a desperate plea for survival. In the video, she made it clear that she was terrified for her life and that she had already warned the police.
According to Manisha, the cops did not take her seriously. She claimed their response to her fear was cold and dismissive:
"When there is a fight, we will be there," the police reportedly told her.
Frustrated, angry, and deeply afraid, Manisha asked a question in her video that now haunts the entire city: "Will they help me when I’m dead?"
Hours later, her nightmare became reality.
The roots of the violence trace back to a bitter family battle over the very school where Manisha was killed. The school was founded by Manisha’s parents two decades ago. After they passed away, Manisha became the president of the institution.
In her final video, she defended her position, stating clearly that she had done nothing illegal. She had legal documents proving her parents had rightfully given her the job.
However, she accused her own brother, Himank Mittal, of trying to steal the school using forged documents. The dispute had already led to several ongoing court cases in Shimla.
But it wasn't just a legal battle—it was a deadly one. Manisha claimed that her brother had openly threatened her, warning, "I will kill you."
Following the shooting, the Shimla police rushed to the scene. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abhishek stated that the entire area was cordoned off and forensic experts were brought in to gather evidence. Manisha’s husband, Subhash Yadav, who lives in Haryana, was informed of the tragedy.
While senior police officials have declined to comment on the details of the ongoing investigation, the public is left asking heavy questions.
While the police failed to protect Manisha, they moved quickly after her death. Within 40 hours of the murder, law enforcement tracked down and arrested two suspected hitmen from Haryana.
The arrested men have been identified as:
The police recovered the two pistols used in the execution. Investigators revealed that the killers drove from Haryana to Shimla in a white Swift car using fake Himachal Pradesh license plates. To escape after the shooting, they wore masks and took hidden back roads back to Haryana to evade detection.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abhishek stated that both men have already confessed to the crime and will be produced before a local court on Tuesday.
The police are treating this as a targeted hit rather than a random act of violence. ASP Abhishek described the killing as a "very personal incident" stemming from a long-standing property dispute and deep personal enmity between Manisha and her brother.
Manisha's husband, Subhash Yadav, who lives in Haryana, has been informed of the tragedy. Meanwhile, the police are continuing their investigation to find out if anyone else helped plan the murder.
Manisha did everything a person is supposed to do when they are in danger: she spoke up, she went to the authorities, and she documented the threats.
In the end, the system she trusted to protect her only arrived in time to catch her killers. As unfortunate as it is, they did in fact help her ‘after her death.’
Copyright © © 2022 Copyright. All Rights Reserved with Arth Parkash