Ex-Navy employee, who faked his death for 20 years, arrested by Delhi Police for three murders
Oct 17, 2023
New Delhi [India], October 17 : Delhi Police has arrested an ex-Navy employee, who faked his death for nearly 20 years, for allegedly killing a relative and "burning" two labourers.
The accused, identified as Balesh Kumar, 60, a permanent resident of Panipat district in Haryana, had made people believe that he had died in 2004, police officials said.
They said Balesh Kumar was arrested from a house in Najafgarh where he was staying with his family after changing his name to Aman Singh.
Balesh was 40 when he allegedly killed Rajesh alias Khushiram, over money in Delhi's Bawana area in 2004. He also allegedly had an illicit relationship with Rajesh's wife.
According to the police, Balesh, who was in a transport business then, escaped in a truck to Rajasthan.
He set the truck on fire and burnt two of his workers to death.
"Rajasthan Police during the course of investigation identified one of the persons as Balesh, while the other body remained unclaimed. The family members of Balesh also identified one of the bodies as his," a police official said.
Rajasthan Police closed the case assuming the prime suspect was dead.
According to Delhi Police, specific input was received that a wanted criminal Balesh is residing in the Najafgarh area after changing his identity to Aman Singh.
"A team laid a trap and successfully apprehended Balesh," the official said.
During the investigation, Balesh Kumar's pension form details from the concerned authorities were obtained, which revealed that his wife was receiving his pension benefits.
"He remained in touch with his wife and managed to transfer his insurance claim benefits and pension from the Indian Navy to her. Also, the truck involved in the incident was registered in the name of his brother Mahinder Singh, who allowed him to claim the insurance. He got an insurance claim for the truck and transferred it into the account of his wife," the official said.
In 2004, Dandiyawar police station had only carried out inquest proceedings under section 174 Cr.P.C. and no criminal case was registered.
Police officials said that interrogation of Balesh revealed that the two men burnt in the truck were labourers, that he had hired from Transport Centre, Samaypur Badli, Delhi.
"These two labourers were Manoj and Mukesh (both residents of Bihar), though he could not reveal anything further about their addresses or families," said the official.
Officials said Balesh joined the Indian Navy as a Steward in 1981 and served till 1996. After retirement, he rented a house in Delhi's Uttam Nagar. He was working as a property dealer in Najafgarh at the time of his arrest.
