Justice After 16 Years: Fugitive Arrested in Gruesome Delhi Murder Case
In a dramatic breakthrough that brings closure to a 16-year-old murder mystery, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested Ashik Ali from Surat for his alleged involvement in the gruesome killing of Harish Chand, whose headless body was discovered stuffed inside an iron box in 2009.
The arrest came on November 5, 2025, when the Inter-State Cell of the Delhi Police Crime Branch apprehended Ali from Bhaiya Nagar in Surat, where he had been living under the radar as a tailor with his family for the past four years.
The Gruesome Discovery That Shocked Delhi
The case dates back to January 5, 2009, when residents near an old age home at Bindapur Extension in Outer Delhi made a horrifying discovery. An iron box left on the road was found with blood oozing out, prompting police intervention. When authorities opened the container, they encountered the mutilated remains of a headless man aged approximately 30-35 years.
An FIR was immediately registered at Bindapur police station, and the victim was later identified as Harish Chand, son of Hari Prakash. The investigation revealed that Harish had left home with his cousin Banarsi Lal on January 5, 2009, under the pretext of buying a DVD from Sita Puri market, never to return alive.
Harish's father, Hari Prakash, had grown increasingly worried when repeated attempts to contact his son failed. He visited Dabri police station to report his son missing but was advised to wait. The anxious father continued searching through the night and following day, filing a formal missing person report on January 7.
The Chilling Investigation and Previous Conviction
The investigation took a dramatic turn when Hari Prakash received a phone call from his son's mobile number on January 7. The unidentified caller demanded money for Harish's release but disconnected when questioned about the amount. Later that same evening, police informed Hari that a headless body had been found in Bindapur.
On January 8, Hari identified his son's remains at DDU Hospital by recognizing his hands and feet. A postmortem examination confirmed murder. The investigation took another grim turn on February 6, 2009, when Harish's severed head was recovered from bushes at Chanakya Place and identified by family members.
Court documents from 2022 revealed that the murder stemmed from a monetary dispute. Harish's mother Sushila testified that Banarsi Lal, her late brother's son, had borrowed Rs 85,000 from her in 1998 to purchase a jeep. He later sold the vehicle without returning the full amount, creating strained relations between the families.
Banarsi Lal was arrested shortly after the crime and eventually sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022. However, his associate Ashik Ali managed to evade capture for 16 years, being declared a proclaimed offender in 2011.
The Long Arm of Law Finally Catches Up
According to DCP (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam, the breakthrough came on November 4, 2025, when acting on a tip-off, a Crime Branch team traced Ali to Surat. He was arrested the following day from Bhaiya Nagar.
"His questioning has revealed that his close friend Banarsi had a monetary dispute with Harish. An altercation took place between the deceased and Banarsi over the money, and they killed and beheaded Harish. After the incident, Ashik kept changing his locations," said DCP Gautam.
The arrest marks the end of a 16-year manhunt that saw Ashik Ali constantly moving between locations to avoid detection before eventually settling in Surat with his family, where he worked as a tailor until his capture.
This case demonstrates that even after years of evasion, the Indian justice system continues to pursue cold cases, bringing closure to victims' families and ensuring that those who commit heinous crimes eventually face accountability for their actions.
