Parole offender, on the run for 26 years, held

New Delhi: Changing his name and with a makeover, Onkar Singh, a murder convict, was able to dodge police for 26 years and thinking of being secure that no one from police was following him has landed him to the police net.

The 61-year-old accused who turned into a security guard was arrested by Vigilance Branch of South District police.

Police sources told Millennium Post that after the murder, he spent 15 years away from Delhi where he worked as a vendor and then as a security guard. He lived in cities like Ludhiana, Bikaner, Haridwar, Ghaziabad and Modinagar.

"Accused told us that during the absconding period, he cut his hair and after few years he re-grew his hair, During the period, he also changed his name as Rakesh Malhotra and started working," said a police source. Police was verifying the name which he had used during his absconding period.

Sources further stated that he returned to Delhi 10 years ago and started working as a security guard in night shift as he did not wanted anyone to see him in the morning and also he remained in contact with some of his relatives.

"For two and a half months, the operation continued and after making sure that he is the same accused who was involved in the murder we made the arrest," said police source.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ishwar Singh stated that in Vishnu Garden, he got employment with a private security agency in Tilak Nagar and was working as a private security guard. During interrogation, it was learned that accused Onkar Singh had, along with his associates Devinder Kumar, Amar Pal Singh and Ravinder Kumar committed murder of one Parminder Kumar, 25, on the evening of November 25, 1980.

"Accused had purchased a jersey from Parminder for a sum of Rs 55 out of which Rs 20 was paid and the rest was promised to pay later. However, Kumar did not pay the balance amount which led to a dispute between them," said Singh.

Police claimed that during the course of the investigation, all four accused were arrested and after investigation, put to trial. On May 15, 1982, R.C. Jain, the then Addl. Session Judge had sentenced accused Ravinder Kumar and Onkar Singh of life imprisonment while the remaining two accused were acquitted.

The accused remained in judicial custody till 1989 and in the same year, he applied for parole to get married. After getting married, he surrendered to judicial custody. Later, he again applied for parole in 1991 and after being granted parole by the competent authority, he fled away.