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Youtuber Salim Wastik arrested for 1995 kidnap-murder: How he was nabbed after 31 years
The case pertains of the kidnapping and murder of a 13-year-old son of a businessman in 1995.
A man wanted for a 1995 murder of a 13-year-old boy in Delhi has been arrested after a 31-year wait, during which the convict changed name and travelled through states of evade arrest. He was finally nabbed by the Delhi Police in Loni, Ghaziabad.
The accused, Salim Khan, also known as Salim Wastik, posed as a social activist and Youtuber. He was also attacked for his religious views in February.
Police said that during the last 31 years, Salim Khan continuously evaded arrest by travelling through Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. He was finally apprehended on Tuesday after the Crime Branch of Delhi Police arrested the convict from Ghaziabad, a police statement said.
What was the case against Salim Khan?
The case pertains of the kidnapping and murder of a 13-year-old son of a businessman in 1995.
On January 20, the 13-year-old of a cement businessman in North East Delhi was kidnapped by 54-years-old Salim Ahmed. Khan was a martial arts instructor at the Ramjas School, where the deceased was a student. Khan then demanded a ransom of ₹30,000 from the businessman a day after the kidnap.
The suspicion arose on Salim Khan after a neighbour saw the child leaving in a rickshaw with a tall boy namely “Masterji” around the time he was supposed to go to school.
However, when Salim Khan was nabbed and questioned, he revealed that he had killed the child and dumped his body at a drain in Mustafabad. A co-accused, Anil, was also arrested in the case.
Two years later, in August 1997, Salim and Anil were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
How Salim Khan travelled through Haryana and UP
The twist in the case occurred when Salim Khan appealed against the verdict of the lower court at the Delhi high court. As the appeal was pending before the court, Khan was granted bail in November 2000.
However, he didn't surrender after the expiry of the bail. The conviction was also upheld by the Delhi high court in July 2011.
After jumping bail, the accused remained absconding and remain hidden travelling through states, including Haryana. He worked as an Almirah Maker in Karnal and Ambala, before settling in Ghaziabad.
In 2010, he settled in Loni, Ghaziabad, where he assumed a new identity as one Salim Wastik, aka Salim Ahmed. He opened a shop of ladies dress and ladies items in Nasbandi Colony in Loni.
How Delhi Police apprehended him
Years later, a team of Delhi Police was tasked to maintain surveillance and nab the parole jumpers involved in crimes. A head constable, Mintu Yadav, received a tip that a famous Youtuber, Salim Khan, was involved in a 31-years-old kidnapping for ransom and murder. It was also revealed that the Youtuber had declared himself dead in the eyes of law enforcement agencies.
The police pursued the case and the details of the convict, including his old photograph and fingerprints, were collected from court records. He was soon arrested in a raid by a team of Delhi Police Crime Branch, along with the Ghaziabad Police.
Martial arts trainer to ‘Ex-Muslim’ Youtuber
The police revealed that Salim Khan was born in Shamli city of Muzaffarnagar district in UP in 1972 and moved to Delhi in search of livelihood.
He was working as a martial arts instructor at Ramjas School in Delhi's Daryaganj, when he carried out the crime in 1995.
Cut to 2026, Salim Khan became popular on Youtube over his identity as an 'ex-Muslim'. His religious views also led to a stabbing attack in February this year. Police said two persons, namely Zeeshan and Gulfam, allegedly stabbed Salim multiple times on the neck and abdomen at his office in Loni.
