The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch recently arrested a man from Bihar for a murder committed 24 years ago. The arrest was announced on Saturday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Satish Kumar revealed that the accused, Sakender Kumar, 44, along with Pappu Yadav, Montu Yadav, and Vijay Yadav, was involved in the murder of their co-worker, Ram Swaroop, in 2000.
On February 4, 2000, Chandu Yadav reported his brother Ram Swaroop missing. Swaroop had last been seen working at Pappu Yadav’s factory in Matiala, Delhi, alongside Montu, Sakender, and Vijay. While the other workers returned to Bihar, Swaroop did not. Pappu Yadav initially told the police that Swaroop had left the factory for another job. Later, Swaroop’s decomposed body was discovered under plastic bags at Pappu’s factory. Although a case was filed and Mantu was arrested, Pappu, Vijay, and Sakender went into hiding.
“Our team focused on locating proclaimed offenders involved in serious crimes such as murder. H C Dinesh Lakra gathered information from Rohini court, identifying Pappu, Sakender, and Vijay as absconding offenders,” said DCP Kumar. “We traced information from Sakender’s native village in Bihar, collected contact details of his family, and analyzed call records. Through local intelligence, we identified and arrested him on July 18.”
During questioning, Sakender admitted his role in the murder along with Pappu, Montu, and Vijay. He explained that the motive was an argument between Pappu and Swaroop over salary issues. The group allegedly strangled Swaroop, hid his body under plastic bags, and then fled. To avoid capture, Sakender had been living in various cities, including Surat and Patna.
At the time of his arrest, Sakender was working for a grocery home delivery service in Patna. The police also noted that Pappu, his neighbor, had established a polythene factory in Matiala, Delhi, in 2000, where he employed his brother Montu, Vijay, and Sakender. Pappu was arrested on June 3 this year. Vijay remains at large, and efforts are underway to locate him.