24 years after murder, Delhi Police arrests accused working as tailor in Manesar

Delhi Police have arrested a 48-year-old man accused of murdering a 35-year-old acquaintance in 2002, ending nearly 24 years of evasion, an officer said on Sunday.

Firoj alias Khaja was arrested by the Crime Branch from a readymade garment factory in IMT Manesar, Gurugram, where he had been working as a tailor for the past two years, the officer said.

The murder case was registered at the Okhla Industrial Area police station following the killing of Kalaam Ansari.

On February 18, 2002, police recovered a highly decomposed body of an approximately 35-year-old man from the DDA forest near Tughlaqabad Fort. The body was covered with stones and the victim's head had been crushed, the officer said.

The deceased was later identified as Ansari, a resident of West Champaran in Bihar. During the investigation, police found that Ansari had come to Delhi for work in 2001 along with Firoj.

The probe also brought to light an old family dispute involving Firoj's brother Saahbjaan, who was married to a woman from Ansari's village.

According to police, Saahbjaan had a dispute with his wife and later died by suicide in front of Ansari's house. Firoj allegedly suspected Ansari's family of being responsible for the circumstances surrounding his brother's death and had expressed an intention to take revenge.

On February 15, 2002, Firoj allegedly took Ansari to the forest near Tughlaqabad and killed him by crushing his head with stones, the officer said.

He subsequently returned to Bihar and allegedly gave misleading information about Ansari's whereabouts before going underground.

The Crime Branch launched a fresh effort to trace him and conducted around 30 raids over the past two months, including several visits to Bihar.

Police teams analysed old records and followed leads through sustained fieldwork to establish his movements. They eventually learnt that Firoj was working at a garment factory in IMT Manesar.

A team kept surveillance on the factory and arrested him after confirming his identity, police said.

According to the police, Firoj had severed contact with his native village after the murder and moved to different places while concealing his identity and whereabouts. He is married and has four children.

Further investigation is underway.