NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a 48-year-old man, 24 years after he allegedly killed his acquaintance by crushing his head with stones in a forested area of south Delhi.
Firoj, a resident of Bihar, was arrested from a garment factory in Industrial Model Township (IMT), Manesar, Gurugram, where he had been working as a tailor for the last two years. He is accused of killing 35-year-old Kalaam Ansari.
According to police, a highly decomposed body of an approximately 35-year-old man was recovered from the DDA forest near Tughlaqabad Fort on February 18, 2002. The body was covered with stones and the victim's head had been brutally crushed.
“The deceased was later identified as Ansari, a resident of West Champaran in Bihar. During the investigation, police found that Ansari had come to Delhi for employment in 2001 along with Firoj,” police said.
Police said the investigation revealed an old family dispute involving Firoj's brother Saahbjaan, who was married to a woman from Ansari's village.
“Saahbjaan was involved in a dispute with his wife. He later died by suicide in front of Ansari's house. Firoj suspected Ansari's family of being responsible for the circumstances leading to his brother's suicide and had expressed his intention to take revenge," police said.
Police alleged that on February 15, 2002, Firoj took Ansari to the forest near Tughlaqabad and killed him by crushing his head with stones. He later returned to Bihar, gave misleading information about Ansari's whereabouts and absconded.
“The Crime Branch launched a fresh effort to trace him and conducted around 30 raids over the last two months, including several visits to Bihar. Teams developed information about his movements by analysing old records and pursuing leads through sustained field work. The police eventually learnt that Firoj was working at a garment factory in IMT Manesar. A team arrested him after keeping surveillance on the factory and confirming his identity. Police said Firoj had severed contact with his native village after the murder and shifted to different places while concealing his identity and whereabouts,” it said.
Police said the accused is married and has four children.
“Further investigation is underway,” police said.