Decades-Long Manhunt Ends in Village Arrest
In a remarkable breakthrough, the New Delhi Police Crime Branch has successfully apprehended a 45-year-old man who had been evading capture for 25 years in connection with a series of brutal taxi driver murders across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
The accused, identified as Dhiraj Tomar from Sikanderpur Kalan village in Shahjahanpur, had adopted a false identity and was living separately from his family to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies for over two decades.
The Operation That Led to Capture
A specialized team from the New Delhi Range meticulously tracked Tomar to his native village in Uttar Pradesh. According to police officials, informants were strategically deployed to monitor his movements before the final operation was launched to take him into custody.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Pankaj Kumar revealed that the case originated on March 17, 2001, when police received an emergency call reporting two male bodies near B-2, Mayur Vihar Phase III. While one victim succumbed to injuries at the hospital, the other survived thanks to prompt medical attention.
Gang's Brutal Modus Operandi Exposed
Investigators uncovered that Tomar's gang operated with a chilling pattern: they would hire taxis, murder the drivers, steal the vehicles, and dispose of the bodies in remote mountainous areas. The stolen vehicles were then allegedly transported and sold in Nepal.
During the initial investigation phase, two of Tomar's accomplices were arrested and subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. However, Tomar and another associate managed to escape and were declared proclaimed offenders.
In a significant development during interrogation, Tomar has reportedly confessed to his involvement not only in the multiple murder cases but also to additional crimes including murders, robberies, and abductions in Almora, Haldwani, Lohaghat, and various parts of Uttarakhand.
The arrest marks the culmination of one of the longest manhunts in recent Delhi police history, demonstrating that law enforcement persistence can eventually bring even the most elusive criminals to justice.
