Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 27: The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has arrested a long-absconding convict who had been evading authorities for years in connection with a 1989 murder, officials confirmed on Monday.
The accused, Sushil Kumar, also known as Guddu, is a 57-year-old originally from East Delhi. He had been declared a proclaimed offender after failing to surrender despite repeated court orders. He was wanted in a case registered at Krishna Nagar Police Station under Sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
The arrest was carried out by a special team from the Crime Branch’s ER-II unit, which had recently been assigned the task of tracing convicted absconders. The operation was led by Inspector Sunil Kundu and supervised by ACP Narender Singh, with team members including ASI Satender and Head Constables Prince, Mohit, and Rajeev.
Investigators faced significant challenges while tracking him down, primarily due to the absence of recent photographs or updated records. Additionally, his former residence had long been sold, leaving authorities with limited leads. However, by carefully examining digital court records—particularly appeal proceedings in the Delhi High Court—and combining technical surveillance with human intelligence, the team was able to identify his location.
He was eventually traced to West Jyoti Nagar in Shahdara, where he had been living quietly in a rented accommodation to avoid detection. Acting on precise intelligence, the police conducted a raid and successfully apprehended him. He was later arrested under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and presented before a court after informing the local police.
The case dates back to the night of October 6–7, 1989, during a Ram Lila event at Gyan Park, when a dispute escalated into violence. During the altercation, Sushil Kumar allegedly stabbed a young man named Vivek in the neck, resulting in his death.
He was initially arrested and later released on bail in 1993. In 2000, a Karkardooma court convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The conviction was upheld by the Delhi High Court in 2017, but he failed to surrender afterward and remained on the run until his recent capture.
Police also revealed that, apart from the murder case, he was involved in another issue related to the theft of railway property in Lucknow under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966.