Delhi: Man held for jumping parole 26 years ago

New Delhi: The police on Monday arrested a 61-year-old man, who jumped parole 26 years ago in a murder case. He was picked up from west Delhi's Vishnu Garden where he was working as a private security guard for a residential enclave.

The accused identified as Onkar Singh alias Ladda, who was declared a proclaimed offender by a court here in 1991, the police added.

The Vigilance Branch of South District has been involved in studying the profiles of proclaimed offenders who have been almost forgotten, said a police officer.

During one such operation, the police started studying Singh’s profile. Information about him was accessed and he was arrested from Vishnu Garden on August 27, said deputy commissioner of police (south) Ishwar Singh.

Singh, along with his associates Devinder Kumar, Amar Pal Singh and Ravinder Kumar, killed one Parminder Kumar, 25, on November 25, 1980 evening, the police said.

Parminder sold readymade garments in central Delhi's Paharganj. Ravinder had purchased a jersey from Parminder for Rs 55. He had paid Rs 20 and had promised to pay the remaining amount later, he added.

However, Ravinder did not pay the balance amount and this led to a dispute between them. On November 25, when Parminder went to attend a ceremony, he saw Ravinder along with his friends.

When Parminder demanded the remaining Rs 35, Ravinder and Singh took out their knives and stabbed him in his abdomen and chest.

Parminder was declared brought dead by the doctors. Subsequently, the four accused were arrested. On May 15, 1982, Ravinder and Singh were sentenced to life imprisonment while the remaining two accused were acquitted. Singh had filed appeals in the Delhi high court and Supreme Court, but they were dismissed and his conviction was upheld.

He remained in judicial custody till 1989 and later applied for parole to get married. He again applied for parole in 1991 and after being granted parole, Singh did not return. On November 21, 1991, the police declared him as a proclaimed offender.

After jumping parole, he kept shifting from one city to another and for brief period, he lived in Ludhiana, Bikaner, Haridwar, Ghaziabad and Modinagar until his arrest in Delhi.