Man Wanted In 1994 Double Murder Arrested After 32 Years On Run

A 48-year-old man wanted in a 1994 double murder-cum-dacoity case, in which two sadhvis of a spiritual ashram in east Delhi were allegedly strangled to death, has been arrested after evading the law for nearly 32 years, police said on Friday.

After tracing Lalit to a factory in Mangolpuri Phase-II, where he was working as a packaging labourer under a false identity, police verified his identity through his Aadhaar card, after which they arrested him and informed Shakarpur police station, police said.

Shakarpur police station registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC in connection with the murders.

According to police, the two sadhvis were strangled and the accused allegedly looted cash, jewellery and other valuables from the ashram.

Lalit was allegedly one of the main accused and had participated in strangling one of the victims, police said.

He allegedly received a share of the looted cash and jewellery after the crime.

Officials said three co-accused -- Sunil Kumar, Dilip Ram and Sushil -- were arrested during the initial investigation, while Lalit remained absconding. Police declared him a proclaimed offender on October 26, 1995.

Investigators said Lalit had initially come to Delhi as a domestic help and came in contact with co-accused Kumar and Ram. After the crime, he remained in Bihar until 2000, working at different places, before returning to Delhi. He subsequently worked as a packaging labourer at various manufacturing units, allegedly concealing details of his past, police said.

Lalit, a native of Samastipur in Bihar, studied up to Class 8. He got married in May 2017 and has a wife and a five-year-old son, police said. Further investigation is underway.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)