Accused wanted in murder of school boy arrested after 13 years

On February 19, the team from the Crime Branch tracked down the accused, Bharat Lal, at Sheohar in Bihar.

New Delhi: The Crime Branch of Delhi Police have arrested two accused in the kidnapping and murder of a boy at South Delhi’s Kalkaji in in 2010, informed officers on Wednesday.

The accused were identified as Gurnam Singh and Bharat Lal, police said.

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Further, according to officials in the Crime Branch, Gurnam Singh had changed his physical appearance after the incident and had been evading his arrest in the murder case of the school boy.

“During investigation, the 3 accused were identified as the staff of a blueline bus. It was learned that they beat the boy to death. With none of them turning up for questioning in the case, all three were declared absconders by the court. They had been evading arrest and a cash reward of Rs 50,000 each was declared for information leading to their capture and arrest,” an officer from the Crime Branch said.

On February 19, the team from the Crime Branch tracked down the accused, Bharat Lal, at Sheohar in Bihar.

“A case was registered under IPC sections 302, 363, 365 and 34 at Kalkaji police station,” the official said.

According to the police, he had been residing there after changing his last name and address in his identification papers. He left Delhi to evade his arrest, changing his name from Bharat Lal to Bharat Raut, as well as his Delhi address, in all his identification papers.

“He is a driver by profession and at the time of the incident in 2010, he was driving the blueline bus. He was among the three accused wanted in the case. He was interrogated at length,” said the Crime Branch official.

The official said the Crime Branch team laid a trap in Pune and apprehended Gurnam Singh.

During interrogation, Gurnam confessed to his involvement in the killing and disclosed that he was willfully evading his arrest by not only changing his physical appearance by growing his hair and beard and wearing a turban but also by frequently changing his hideouts, the official said.

He admitted further that he knowingly never remained in touch with his family in his native village due to fear of arrest.

“After the incident, he moved from Delhi to Punjab, Assam and Maharashtra, staying under the radar by taking up odd jobs. He is a bachelor and did not have any permanent or temporary residence,” said the Crime Branch offical.

The complainant Indu Devi (mother of the deceased boy Chandan) alleged that on August 27, 2010, her daughter received a phone call from a bus conductor, informing her that the boy had left his school bag with him.

According to Crime Branch officials, the complainant tried to contact the caller again but the mobile was found switched off.

“Her son didn’t return home. After waiting till the evening, she approached Kalkaji police station. In the meantime, she came to know that the body of a student had been found on a railway track between Okhla and Tughlakhbad stations. The body was later identified as that of the missing boy,” an officer informed.