New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS): Delhi Police’s Crime Branch Inter-State Cell arrested Sadhana, also known as Pooja, from Haridwar on September 27, nearly two decades after she jumped parole while serving a life sentence. She was convicted of kidnapping and murdering a 10-year-old child in 1990, a ruling upheld by an appellate court.
Police said officers traced Sadhana through human intelligence, former associates and family connections. After receiving a lead that she was living in Haridwar under an assumed identity, a team conducted ground checks and discreet surveillance before arresting her. The operation was carried out by officers including SI Amit Kumar and ASI Suresh Gupta, under the supervision of Inspector Pankaj Malik and ACP Ramesh Chander Lamba.
The case was registered as FIR No. 06/1990 at Adarsh Nagar Police Station. According to investigators, the child went missing from Azadpur T-Point on January 6, 1990. Witnesses Jagdish Chand and Vasdev reportedly saw Sadhana holding the child’s hand while crossing GT Road at around 5.30 p.m.
Sadhana and co-accused Raj Kumar were later arrested from Jahangir Puri. They were living together as a couple without being legally married, and their relationship was opposed by the child’s father, Balwant Ram, and his family. Investigators said an earlier dispute had created resentment and led to a decision to take revenge.
During the trial, Sadhana was identified as the last person seen with the child. The court also found that she had concealed Raj Kumar’s presence at her home and actively participated in the conspiracy. She was convicted under Sections 364, 302 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, relating to kidnapping, murder and criminal conspiracy, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Sadhana had been in Central Jail since January 9, 1990. She was released on parole on December 27, 2005, and the release was extended by three weeks on medical grounds. She failed to surrender on January 18, 2006, and remained at large.
After fleeing, Sadhana adopted the name Pooja. She initially stayed with Raj Kumar and later worked at a private company in Noida, where she met carpenter Keshav. She later lived with him in Delhi’s Mukundpur for about five years before moving to Haridwar. She eventually married Keshav in a temple and listed him as her husband in documents to conceal her identity.
Original Source: https://tripurachronicle.in/national-news/life-convict-absconding-for-over-20-years-after-jumping-parole-arrested-by-delhi-polices-crime-branch/
Category: National News
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Publish Date: 2026-09-30 15:33:00
