A serial killer known as ‘Doctor Death’ was apprehended by the Delhi Police Crime Branch in Rajasthan on Monday evening, over a year after he absconded on parole in August 2023. The accused, Dr. Devender Sharma, linked to multiple murder cases and believed to have committed around 50 brutal killings, evaded capture for more than a year before authorities found him hiding in plain sight as a priest in an ashram in Dausa.
This escape was not his first attempt; it was the second time he had sought to flee law enforcement. The 67-year-old Ayurvedic doctor, originally from Aligarh, was serving a life sentence for the kidnapping and murder of taxi drivers between 2002 and 2004 when he was granted parole in 2023 and subsequently vanished.
Prior to his arrest, Sharma had a practice at the Janta Clinic in Bandikui, Rajasthan, for 11 years. His past also includes a scam in 1994 where he lost Rs 11 lakh, his life savings, while attempting to open a gas dealership. Following that setback, he returned to Aligarh to run a fake gas agency, targeting truck drivers by killing them to steal the gas cylinders they were transporting, disposing of their bodies in nearby rivers.
From 1998 to 2004, Sharma became involved in an illegal kidney transplant racket, overseeing over 125 transplants across Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan, and earning Rs 5 to 7 lakh per operation as an intermediary. During this time, he also formed a gang that was responsible for the abduction and murder of numerous taxi drivers.
His method involved hiring taxis from Delhi, killing the drivers, and discarding their bodies in the Hazra Canal in Kasganj, which is known for its crocodile population. The stolen vehicles were then sold in the grey market for between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 each. Although he was arrested and charged with the murders of 21 taxi drivers, he later confessed to killing more than 50 individuals. Due to the lack of recovered bodies, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for only seven murders.
According to police reports, his family abandoned him after his crimes were revealed. In January 2020, he was released from Jaipur Central Jail on the basis of good behavior but never returned. Following this, a Delhi Police Inspector discovered that Sharma was living in Baprola with his second wife and had launched a property dealership, though he was soon arrested for attempting to sell a disputed building in Connaught Place.
After being placed in Tihar Jail again, he was granted a two-month parole, during which he escaped in June 2023. DCP (Crime) Aditya Gautam stated that a dedicated police team conducted extensive investigations across Aligarh, Jaipur, and Delhi, gathering information on potential hiding spots. Their persistence paid off when they located Sharma in Dausa, where he was posing as a priest. The team approached him under the guise of followers before confirming his identity and arresting him. Upon capture, Sharma acknowledged his criminal history and expressed his intention not to return to prison.
Sharma is now implicated in 27 cases, covering offenses such as murder, kidnapping, and robbery, and has been returned to jail authorities for further legal action.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/dr-death-arrested-convicted-serial-killer-who-dumped-bodies-in-crocodile-infested-canal-traced-to-rajasthan-10018749/
Category: Cities,Delhi
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Publish Date: 2025-05-21 05:39:00
