19-year-old murder suspect on the run for over a year held in Delhi

A 19-year-old man was arrested for allegedly killing a 25-year-old man and demanding ransom from his family. The accused had been evading arrest for over a year.

A 19-year-old man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly killing a 25-year-old man along with his three associates in October last year, police officers aware of the matter said on Friday. The accused managed to dodge the police for over a year, while his associates have been arrested earlier.

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Special commissioner of police (crime) Ravindra Yadav said that the accused was identified as Mohammed Rizwan, a resident of Bhalaswa Dairy. He was wanted in the murder case registered in Bhalaswa Dairy police station on October 28 last year, they added.

Police said that in the intervening night of October 25 and 26, the suspects — Ajay Kumar, Mohammed Istekar, Gautam Kumar, and Rijwan — had an altercation with Mohammed Azhruddin alias Monu. All the four suspects held him hostage and demanded ₹30,000 from his family.

“After the family refused to pay the ransom, the suspects rained blows on Azharuddin and also beat him up with sticks. They stabbed him with an ice pick and fled,” Yadav said. The victim succumbed to his wounds while undergoing treatment in hospital.

Police said Ajay and Istekar were arrested by local police in October last year, while Gautam was nabbed by the Crime Branch in February this year.

“Police got a tip-off that Rizwan would visit the Bhalswa Dairy area,” Yadav said. A trap was laid and the suspect was arrested on Thursday, he added.

According to police, Rizwan was previously involved in a theft case as a juvenile. A month after he turned 18, Rizwan along with his associates allegedly murdered Azhruddin. “He is a drug addict and used to consume liquor. To evade his arrest, he was working as a labourer in Azadpur Mandi and used to live there,” the officer said.