The Delhi Police crime branch has arrested Mohammad Fahim, also known as Ali Bhai, for the murder of a co-worker in west Delhi in 1997, solving one of the force's oldest pending murder cases after nearly 29 years. The accused was apprehended in Lucknow on July 3, 2026, following months of fresh investigation and technical surveillance.
Details of the 1997 Murder
The case dates back to March 14, 1997, when the body of an unidentified man was discovered in a room at TC Camp in Raghubir Nagar, west Delhi. The victim was later identified as Sharif Hasan Khan, a 58-year-old resident of Faizabad district (now Ayodhya), Uttar Pradesh, who worked at a clothing shop in Rajouri Garden.
According to a senior police officer, Fahim had come to Delhi seeking work and became acquainted with Khan. On March 13, 1997, the two allegedly argued after Fahim stole money from the victim. During the altercation, Fahim repeatedly struck Khan with an iron rod and then strangled him with a rope to ensure his death. He hid the body inside a wooden bed box before fleeing the city.
Reinvestigation and Arrest
The case was recently reassigned to the crime branch's central range for reinvestigation. Officers re-examined the nearly three-decade-old case despite the absence of recent photographs, reliable identification records, and modern digital evidence, as the crime predated contemporary investigative databases.
Police developed local intelligence in the accused's native village, which indicated that he was alive and occasionally visited the area. Continuous surveillance traced his movements to Lucknow, where a police team conducted a planned operation and apprehended him on July 3, 2026.
Confession and Life in Hiding
During interrogation, Fahim confessed to killing Khan over the monetary dispute. He told the team that after the murder, he fled to Nagpur and spent the next 29 years moving between Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, including Mumbai, Lucknow, and Nagpur, while concealing his identity under the false name Ali Bhai.
Police said the accused worked as a Plaster of Paris (POP) artisan during his years in hiding and frequently changed locations to avoid arrest. He was declared a proclaimed offender by a court in 1997 after evading arrest despite repeated police efforts.
Significance of the Arrest
The arrest marks a significant breakthrough for the Delhi Police, cracking a cold case that had remained unsolved for nearly three decades. The successful reinvestigation demonstrates the effectiveness of modern intelligence gathering and technical surveillance in solving historical crimes.
