Vijay Kumar Pleads Self-Defense in Quadruple Murder Case

NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT

Lawrenceville, GA, June 9, 2026 — Vijay Kumar pleaded not guilty and asserted that he acted in self-defense during a bond hearing Monday in Gwinnett County Superior Court, as he awaits trial in a death penalty case stemming from the fatal shooting of his wife and three other members of his wife’s family.

The hearing offered the clearest public preview yet of the sharply contrasting narratives expected to emerge at trial.

Representing Kumar was defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant, who gained statewide attention for her role in several high-profile Georgia cases, including the defense of Mahendra Patel last year.

When asked by the judge how her client pleaded, Merchant responded: “Not guilty.”

Merchant argued that Kumar is innocent and that the shootings were the result of a desperate act of self-defense.

“He actually is innocent. This is a case that we plan on presenting to you and presenting throughout this case as a case of innocence,” Merchant told the court. “It’s a tragic case of self-defense.”

Kumar is charged in the January 23 deaths of his wife, Meenu Dogra, 43; Gourav Kumar, 33; Nidhi Chander, 37; and Harish Chander, 38, at a residence in unincorporated Gwinnett County. Prosecutors announced in March that they intend to seek the death penalty.

In a motion seeking bond, the defense alleged that Kumar had been subjected to a prolonged campaign of threats, extortion, and violence by certain members of his wife’s family. Merchant clarified in court that the allegations involved only “a select few” relatives.

According to the defense filing, Kumar was allegedly coerced from his home on the night of the incident without his phone or coat and physically forced into the Chander residence. The motion describes the home as a place where Kumar feared for his life after months of threats, armed intimidation, and financial extortion.

The defense also cited what Merchant described as recanted testimony from Kumar’s minor daughter as evidence supporting his claim that he acted in reasonable fear for his life.

Prosecutors strongly disputed those assertions.

“We probably seriously disagree with Counsel’s rendition of the facts,” Assistant District Attorney Don Geary told the court.

The state maintains that evidence contradicts the defense’s claim that Kumar was forced into the home, which belonged to two of the victims. Prosecutors have previously said Kumar’s 12-year-old daughter witnessed portions of the shootings and called 911 afterward.

Merchant emphasized Kumar’s lack of criminal history and his standing in the community.

“He has 150-something people here and 100 letters of support,” Merchant said. “He’s in a highly regulated, highly visible industry.”

Kumar’s older daughter described him as a prominent figure in Georgia’s amusement machine industry.

Kumar has remained in custody since his arrest. The defense sought bond on the grounds that the killings resulted from self-defense rather than premeditated murder. Prosecutors argued that the evidence does not support that characterization.

As the case moves toward trial, the central question is likely to be whether jurors accept the defense’s portrayal of Kumar as a man acting in fear for his life or the prosecution’s contention that the evidence will show a deliberate quadruple homicide.