More than three decades after a shocking kidnapping and murder case shook Delhi, the long arm of the law has finally caught up with the main accused. The Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested 54-year-old Salim Khan from Loni in Uttar Pradesh, bringing closure to a case that had remained unresolved for years due to his disappearance.
A crime that stunned Delhi in 1995
The case dates back to January 1995, when 13-year-old Sandeep Bansal, son of a businessman, went missing on his way to school in northeast Delhi. A day later, his family received a ransom call demanding Rs 30,000. Investigators soon suspected Khan, who worked as a martial arts instructor at the boy’s school. Witnesses claimed the child was last seen with him. Acting on leads, police later recovered the boy’s body from a drain in Mustafabad, confirming the worst fears.
Conviction, bail and disappearance
According to The Hindustan Times, Khan and his associate were arrested and later convicted by a trial court in 1997, receiving life sentences. However, Khan secured interim bail in 2000 while his appeal was pending before the Delhi High Court and never returned to custody. His conviction was eventually upheld in 2011, but by then he had vanished, managing to evade arrest for over two decades by constantly changing locations and identities.
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Life under a new identity
Police said Khan moved across parts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, taking up small jobs before eventually settling in Loni around 2010. He reportedly assumed a new identity and, in recent years, even became active as a local YouTuber and social activist. Authorities tracked him through sustained surveillance and verification efforts, finally arresting him this week.
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End of a long chase
The arrest marks the end of a prolonged manhunt and highlights how fugitives can evade capture for years by blending into everyday life. Officials say further legal proceedings will now follow as Khan is brought back into the judicial system. For the victim’s family, the development may bring a measure of delayed justice in a case that had remained unresolved in practice for decades.
