Tragedy: California Woman Was Killed By Stalker After Months Of Harassment

Photo: Dignity Memorial

India-West News Desk

SACRAMENTO, CA – Shalini Thakur, 38, who was fatally shot outside her California workplace on September 8, had obtained a restraining order against the man accused of killing her after months of alleged stalking, harassment and threats, according to court records and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

Her funeral, was held on September 14. She was the only child of her mother Sudesh Kumari.

Thakur was being dropped off at work at a shopping plaza when 22-year-old Rohit approached and confronted her, authorities said. She tried to flee, but Rohit allegedly chased her and shot her several times. After she fell, he shot her in the head at close range, the sheriff’s office said.

Rohit fled and was located about seven minutes later on eastbound Highway 50 near Watt Avenue with the help of Flock camera. He died by suicide during a standoff with deputies, authorities said.

A restraining-order filing shows that Thakur had reported an escalating pattern of behavior that began around September 2025. She knew Rohit through DoorDash pickups from her workplace and said he increasingly showed up at her home and waited for her.

 Photo: Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office

Among the incidents described in the filing, Rohit deflated her vehicle’s tires and placed an Apple AirTag beneath her car’s hood to track her location.

Authorities also said Rohit allegedly obtained a copy of Thakur’s apartment key and entered her home while she was sleeping. He reportedly told her afterward that he had been worried about her because she had not answered him.

The filing said Rohit tried to pressure Thakur into marriage, sought to control her social interactions and eventually threatened to kill both her and himself.

Sheriff’s officials urged Thakur to seek a restraining order, which she eventually obtained. Rohit was served with it May 19.

On July 29, Thakur reported that Rohit had left grocery items at her front door, which investigators considered a violation of the order. Deputies took a report, and detectives determined there was probable cause to arrest him for the suspected misdemeanor violation.

Lt. Amar Gandhi, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, said detectives made at least two attempts to locate Rohit at his home and other places he was known to frequent, but were unable to make contact.

The sheriff’s office said Rohit had no known local criminal history. Authorities also said the case was handled as civil harassment rather than domestic violence because there was no information that Thakur and Rohit had been romantically involved. Thakur had described him as a friend, Gandhi said.

Rohit’s immigration history emerged following the killing. The Department of Homeland Security said he was from India and entered the United States through Arizona in 2023. His exact immigration status was not immediately clear. Federal court records showed his case was pending, with no appeal recorded and no hearings scheduled.