Crime Branch tracked and arrested Salim Wastik from Ghaziabad after years of evasion, reopening details of a 1995 kidnapping case that led to conviction and life sentence.
Salim Wastik has been arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch in connection with a 1995 kidnapping and murder case | IANS
More than three decades after a 13-year-old boy was abducted and killed in northeast Delhi, the Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested social activist and YouTuber Salim Wastik, who had allegedly been evading law enforcement after jumping bail in the case.
The arrest revives a 1995 case that had shaken the capital, involving the kidnapping of a schoolboy for ransom and his murder. Police said the accused had managed to stay off the radar for years by changing identities and frequently shifting locations.
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According to officials, the accused, also known as Salim Ahmed and earlier as Salim Khan, was apprehended from Loni in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. His identity was confirmed after sustained surveillance and verification of old records, including fingerprints.
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Police records show that on January 20, 1995, Sandeep Bansal, a 13-year-old student and son of a local businessman, left home for school but did not return. The next day, his family received a call claiming he had been kidnapped.
Soon after, another call was allegedly made demanding a ransom of Rs 30,000. The caller instructed the family to place the money inside a bus near the Loni Flyover and warned them against informing the police.
During the investigation, suspicion fell on Salim Khan, who was then working as a martial arts instructor at Ramjas School in Daryaganj, where the victim studied. A witness had told police that the boy was last seen leaving in a rickshaw with a tall man referred to as “Masterji”.
Police detained Salim, who allegedly led them to a drain near Mustafabad, where the child’s body was recovered and later identified by his father.
Further investigation led to the identification of a co-accused, Anil, who later surrendered in court in February 1995. Police also recovered the victim’s belongings, including a watch, a school bag and a tiffin box.
Both accused were charged under relevant sections of the IPC and were convicted in 1997. They were sentenced to life imprisonment.
However, Salim was granted interim bail by the Delhi High Court in 2000 and allegedly did not surrender thereafter. His conviction was later upheld in 2011.
Police said that in the years that followed, he changed his identity and moved across states, including Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, before settling in Loni where he ran a small business.
Acting on a tip-off received by Head Constable Mintu Yadav, a team led by Inspector Robin Tyagi tracked him down. During questioning, he allegedly admitted to living under a false identity after jumping bail.
In recent years, Wastik had come into the public eye as a social activist and YouTuber, known for his controversial statements and critical views on Islam.
He had drawn attention after the Pahalgam terror attack, where he publicly condemned terrorism and blamed Pakistan for cross-border activities. Police sources said he had also been approached for a biographical film project based on his life, and the matter is under verification.
Earlier this year, he was also attacked at his residence and sustained multiple stab injuries. He survived after treatment. The two accused in that case were later killed in separate encounters by Uttar Pradesh Police.
Officials confirmed that Salim Wastik has been sent to judicial custody and lodged in Tihar Jail after completion of legal formalities. Further investigation is underway.
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