NEW DELHI: For nearly three decades, patients in a small town in Madhya Pradesh knew him simply as “Dr Jhatka”—the neighbourhood doctor who ran a modest clinic, dealt in property and took up contract work.
What they did not know, Delhi Police says, was that the man treating them had spent the past 27 years on the run.
On Tuesday, Rajinder Bairagi alias Rajinder Singh Yadav alias Dr Jhatka (53) was arrested from Ashok Nagar in Madhya Pradesh, ending a manhunt that began after he allegedly murdered a police official at a wedding in Sonipat in 1998 and escaped from police custody the following year while handcuffed. He was brought to Delhi on Wednesday.
Rajinder had buried his past with remarkable success. After fleeing in 1999, he first surfaced in Colaba, Maharashtra, where he spent about a year working as a physical education teacher at a school.
Murder accused lived in MP town under fake name
He then moved to Ashok Nagar, assumed the identity of Rajender Singh Yadav and rebuilt his life. In 2003, he married a woman who now serves as an ANM at a government hospital in Mungaoli.
He opened a clinic despite having no medical registration, earning the nickname ‘Dr Jhatka’. He was also a property dealer and contractor. The couple has 2 children.
Rajinder said during questioning that he had been a kabaddi player and had drifted into the company of criminals through the sport.
The murder case dates back to May 10, 1998. Police said Rajinder attended a wedding at Saiyan Khera village in Haryana’s Sonipat, where he got into an argument with members of the bride’s family. He and five armed associates then allegedly opened indiscriminate fire.
Jai Bhagwan, the bride’s uncle and a police official, was shot dead. Another person was injured. Rajinder was arrested, but escaped on February 14, 1999, while being escorted by UP policemen from Ghaziabad Jail to Sonipat court.
His run ended after Delhi Police reopened the trial. “During investigation, police confirmed his identity, mapped his daily routine, and pinpointed his exact location. Later, a raid was conducted and the accused was apprehended in Madhya Pradesh,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Chander Kumar Singh said.