In the previous month, a contingent from the Delhi Police Crime Branch traveled to Janardanpur village, situated in the Samastipur district of Bihar. Their mission was to locate a man who had evaded capture for thirty years, being implicated in a violent double homicide and robbery case that took place in East Delhi.
However, the investigation faced a challenge as few locals recognized him by the name recorded in police documentation: Lalit. Instead, he was known by various nicknames, such as ‘Chotu’ and ‘Bhola,’ which had been used since his childhood, largely due to his short stature of just five feet.
Even his relatives residing in the village were unable to provide investigators with much information about his whereabouts, noting that he seldom returned home, according to police sources.
As officers continued their inquiries, one detail surfaced repeatedly: Lalit’s marriage. In 2017, he wed a woman who has an intellectual disability.
Officials involved in the investigation noted that in small villages, such personal events quickly become widely known and remain topics of discussion for years. Although villagers were unaware of Lalit’s current activities or location, they distinctly remembered his marriage.
This seemingly trivial piece of local gossip ultimately became the pivotal clue the police needed.
Investigators began to track down his wife, successfully locating her address and contact information, which eventually led them back to Delhi. They discovered that Lalit had been living in the city and employed in various jobs.
The trail culminated at a factory in Mangolpuri Phase II, where Lalit, now 48 years old, was working as a packaging laborer. Police discreetly confirmed his identity before apprehending him last week. His Aadhaar card identified him as Lalit, although he had never disclosed his real name to his employers.
The origin of this case dates back to 1994 when five men from Janardanpur traveled to Delhi seeking employment.
According to investigators, one of the men, Sunil Kumar, had previously worked as a helper and cleaner at the Nirmal Sadhana Ashram in Shakarpur. After returning to his village, he invited his friends—Sushil, Dilip, Gangadhar, and Lalit—to join him in the capital.
Having connections at the ashram, the five men stayed there for two nights while searching for work and housing.
During this time, they noticed that devotees regularly left offerings, including cash, jewelry, and other valuables, for the two female sadhvis who managed the ashram.
The five men began to contemplate the idea of robbing the ashram, perceiving the women as easy targets due to their ages: one in her late 60s and the other in her early 40s.
According to police reports, the men believed that this would provide a quicker and simpler way to earn money compared to the low-paying jobs they had initially sought.
Investigations indicated that the five men attacked the sadhvis, strangling them with an electrical wire, and subsequently fled with cash, jewelry, and other valuables from the ashram.
A case was registered at the Shakarpur police station, charging them with murder and robbery under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“Lalit was one of the principal suspects involved in the strangulation of the two women. He reportedly received a share of the stolen cash and jewelry,” stated Special CP (Crime) HGS Dhaliwal.
The initial arrests occurred about eight months later, with Sushil, Sunil, and Dilip being taken into custody. The case proceeded to trial, resulting in life sentences for them, as per investigators.
“Gangadhar and Lalit, however, remained fugitives. Lalit was declared a proclaimed offender on October 26, 1995. Gangadhar was never apprehended and it was later discovered that he passed away around three years ago,” added Dhaliwal.
Police reported that Lalit lived in Bihar until approximately 2000, before returning to Delhi.
He adopted a low-profile lifestyle, working as a packaging laborer in various factories to keep his past hidden. In May 2017, he got married and has a five-year-old son, according to police records.
Earlier this year, Lalit came back into focus for police when the Crime Branch’s Central Range began reviewing cold cases and tracking down long-untraced proclaimed offenders.
This operation involved a dedicated team from the Central Range Crime Branch, including Inspector Vinay Kumar and several Sub-Inspectors and Head Constables, operating under the direction of ACP Satender Mohan and DCP Harsh Indora.
For the investigators, the arrest represented the resolution of a 30-year-long pursuit that began at an ashram in Shakarpur, extended to a village in Samastipur, and finally reached an industrial area in Northwest Delhi.
An official familiar with the case remarked, “The breakthrough did not stem from a new witness or sophisticated evidence, but from an ordinary village that remembered a wedding.”
Sakshi Chand is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express in New Delhi, with over ten years of experience in investigative journalism. She specializes in crime reporting, prison systems, and institutional governance within the National Capital.
Her professional focus encompasses high-stakes crime, national security, prison reforms, and traffic governance.
Notable coverage includes significant events such as the 2G spectrum case, the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, and communal conflicts in Uttar Pradesh.
Before her tenure at The Indian Express, she worked as a reporter for The Times of India.
Outside of journalism, Sakshi is a National-level basketball player and coach, incorporating a unique discipline from sports into her professional endeavors.
In late 2025, her reporting has been primarily focused on a major terror investigation and issues of administrative accountability.
