NEW DELHI: A murder case dating back more than two decades has been solved with the arrest of a 62-year-old man in northeast Delhi, who allegedly killed his neighbour over suspicions of an affair with his wife.
The incident took place in 1998 in the Khajuri Khas area. Initially, it appeared to be an accident but was later found to be a planned murder. The accused has been identified as Vishwanath Singh, alias Vishwantah Chauhan, alias Munna, alias Fauji, a resident of Uttar Pradesh.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam said that on October 20, 1998, Jai Prakash (24) was found grievously injured and unconscious. He later succumbed to his injuries during treatment without regaining consciousness.
Initially, the incident appeared to be a road accident, and a case was registered accordingly. However, circumstantial evidence indicated that it was, in fact, a planned murder.
The investigation revealed that the accused had allegedly struck the deceased on the head with a hammer, inflicting fatal injuries, and then staged the scene to make it appear like a hit-and-run accident. Accordingly, the earlier FIR was cancelled and a fresh murder case was registered in 2000.
During the investigation, it emerged that the accused and the deceased were neighbours. The accused allegedly suspected the deceased of having an illicit relationship with his wife, which is believed to have been the motive behind the crime, Gautam said.
Police received a tip-off about the accused's presence in Delhi. The team traced his brothers, who were residing in the national capital. During surveillance, police noticed an unidentified person secretly and repeatedly meeting the accused's brothers. He was later identified as Vishwanath and arrested on Friday from Shiv Vihar, the DCP said.
The accused frequently changed residences and moved between locations to evade detection and arrest. He remained engaged in wholesale mawa (khoya) mandi-related activities and reportedly worked at various places, including Faridabad in Haryana, Loni and Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, while concealing his identity and whereabouts.
