A 54-year-old man, Salim Khan, was arrested by Delhi police’s crime department on Saturday from Loni in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district in reference to a 31-year-old kidnapping for ransom and homicide case courting again to 1995, police mentioned.
Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav mentioned the accused, who’s also called Salim Wastik and Salim Ahmed, had evaded arrest for over 20 years after being granted interim bail. He was apprehended following sustained surveillance and verification of his identification.
He’s a neighborhood activist and a YouTuber, police mentioned.
“A crew of the ARSC [anti-robbery and snatching cell] of the crime department, led by inspector Robin Tyagi underneath shut supervision, apprehended a convict who had kidnapped and murdered a 13-year-old boy for a ransom of ₹30,000 in 1995,” Yadav mentioned.
On January 20, 1995, Sandeep Bansal (13), son of a cement businessman in northeast Delhi, went lacking. In line with the police, the boy had left for varsity however didn’t return residence.
The following day, his father acquired a name informing him of his son’s kidnapping and demanding a ransom of ₹30,000 to be positioned on a bus sure for Baghpat close to Loni flyover, police mentioned.
Additionally Learn:MP: Two kids kidnapped in Indore for ₹15 lakh ransom, rescued; 4 arrested
A case was registered at Gokulpuri police station.
In the course of the preliminary investigation, suspicion fell on Khan, who labored as a martial arts teacher at Bansal’s faculty. A witness assertion indicated that the kid was final seen leaving with him.
Khan’s alleged disclosure led the police to Bansal’s physique in a drain close to Mustafabad, which was later recognized by his father.
Throughout additional investigation, Khan’s affiliate Anil was additionally recognized. He surrendered in February 1995, and the police recovered Bansal’s watch, faculty bag, and tiffin field from him.
“A chargesheet was filed towards each of them, and on August 5, 1997, they have been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a classes courtroom in Karkardooma,” Yadav mentioned.
Each males filed appeals earlier than the Delhi excessive courtroom. Khan was granted interim bail on November 24, 2000, however didn’t give up thereafter.
“He jumped bail and continued to evade arrest. His conviction was later upheld by excessive courtroom on July 19, 2011,” an official police assertion mentioned.
Khan managed to keep away from arrest by incessantly altering places throughout Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, together with Karnal and Ambala, the place he labored as an almirah maker, police mentioned. He later settled in Loni round 2010 after assuming a brand new identification.
Additionally Learn:Man accused of kidnapping minor dies by suicide in police custody in Hathras
“He declared himself useless in official data to mislead regulation enforcement businesses and adopted the identification of Salim Wastik alias Salim Ahmed,” Yadav mentioned.
On February 27, Khan was allegedly attacked by two males in Loni and sustained a number of stab accidents. He was handled at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and later shifted to Max Tremendous Speciality Hospital earlier than being discharged in March. A separate case was registered in reference to that incident, and he was supplied safety by the Uttar Pradesh police.
“Throughout a targeted operation towards parole jumpers concerned in heinous crimes, credible inputs have been acquired about his true identification. His particulars have been verified by means of fingerprints and outdated data collected from Karkardooma courts,” Yadav mentioned.
Following affirmation, a raiding crew comprising a number of Crime Department officers, with help from the Loni police, carried out the operation and apprehended him, police mentioned. He has been arrested and lodged in Tihar Jail.
Police mentioned the accused had been operating a garment store in Loni and had additionally gained recognition as a social activist and YouTuber.