Delhi Police Arrest Fugitive After 35 Years; Netizens Ask, 'How Many More Crimes He Might Have Committed?'
· Free Press Journal

The Delhi Police Crime Branch’s claim of solving a 35-year-old murder case has caused sharp reactions online, with many netizens criticising the delay rather than applauding the arrest. Social media users called it a reflection of systemic failure, questioning why it took decades to track down the accused.
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The 1991 Murder Case
The case dates back to August 2, 1991, in East Delhi’s Trilokpuri area, where a tenant allegedly murdered his 55-year-old landlady. Believing she kept large sums of cash, the accused entered her room at night to rob her. When she and her son resisted, he stabbed the woman multiple times, leading to her death, and injured her son before fleeing.
दिल्ली पुलिस @CrimeBranchDP की टीम ने 35 साल पुरानी हत्या की गुत्थी सुलझाई।
— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) April 11, 2026
2 अगस्त 1991 को त्रिलोकपुरी थानाक्षेत्र में किराएदार ने की थी मकान मालकिन की चाकू घोंप कर हत्या।
लगातार अपने ठिकाने बदल कर रह रहे अपराधी को पुलिस टीम ने ट्रेस कर पंजाब के लुधियाना जिले से धर दबोचा।… pic.twitter.com/wowWn65Vkw
A Fugitive for Decades
Declared a proclaimed offender in 1996, the accused allegedly evaded arrest for decades by frequently changing locations, moving across cities including Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, and Goa, before eventually settling in Ludhiana. His family reportedly remained aware of his whereabouts during this period.
Arrest After 35 Years
A dedicated Crime Branch team tracked him down using technical surveillance and inputs from relatives over six months. He was finally arrested from Ludhiana on April 10, 2026, bringing an end to a decades-long manhunt.
Online Backlash Dominates Narrative
Despite the breakthrough, the police action drew widespread criticism online.
Many users mocked the delay, calling it “shameful” and sarcastically questioning the efficiency of the system.
कितना शर्म की बात हैं की इस केस को सुलझाने मे 35 साल लग गए
— Pankaj Kumar (@Pankaj_Kumar87) April 11, 2026
दिल्ली पुलिस और दिल्ली क्राइम ब्रांच से बस यही उम्मीद कर सकते हैं
While I really appreciate the police to finally nab the culprit but as we all know justice delayed is justice denied. I'm wondering how many more crimes he would have done in these 35 years
— Himanshu Taneja (@taneja_himanshu) April 11, 2026
It took police 35 yrs to solve a murder case?
— virus of venus (@virusofvenus) April 11, 2026
I mean is it an accomplishment or failure?
While a few praised the effort as “better late than never,”
बहुत सराहनीय
— Pushpa Sahani (@PushpaSahani12) April 12, 2026
While the arrest marks the end of a decades-long manhunt and offers a measure of closure to the victim’s family, the overwhelming public reaction underscores a deeper concern justice delayed remains justice questioned.
The case may be solved on paper, but for many, the 35-year gap continues to cast a shadow over the system’s efficiency and accountability.