The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested two brothers — both convicted to life imprisonment in a 1996 Delhi murder case — after they remained fugitives for nearly a decade. Firasat Ali, 56, and his younger brother Shah Nawaz Ali, 51, were apprehended in coordinated operations on 4 July in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Godda, Jharkhand, respectively. Firasat Ali was additionally wanted in connection with a 2006 Mumbai contract killing involving the murder and dismemberment of a man.

Background: The 1996 Raghubir Nagar Murder

The original crime dates to 27 September 1996, when an altercation over the purchase of an old saree reportedly broke out at an old clothes market near Ghore Wala Mandir in Raghubir Nagar, New Delhi. According to police, Shah Nawaz threatened the complainant's brother during the dispute and later returned with Firasat Ali, Arshad Ali, and an associate, Jahangir Khan.

The accused allegedly forced entry into the complainant's residence armed with knives. Police said Firasat Ali and Shah Nawaz repeatedly stabbed Ishtiaq Ahmed, also known as Pappu, on the neck and chest, resulting in his death. Two other family members, Riyasat alias Bhura and Dabbu, also sustained injuries in the attack. All four accused were subsequently arrested, and in May 2000, Firasat Ali and Shah Nawaz were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Sessions Court at Tis Hazari.

How the Brothers Evaded Custody

Both men were granted bail while their appeal was pending before the Delhi High Court. In 2016, the High Court upheld their conviction and directed them to surrender before jail authorities. Neither complied, and both disappeared. Shah Nawaz remained untraceable from that point, while Firasat Ali was arrested by Mumbai Police in 2018 in connection with a separate contract killing case. He was later granted bail by the Bombay High Court in January 2021, and after being released on furlough in the Delhi case in 2023, he absconded again and was declared a proclaimed offender.

During interrogation, Firasat Ali disclosed that he had frequently changed locations across Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, working as a clothes merchant to evade detection. Shah Nawaz similarly moved between Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand, also trading in old clothes while constantly shifting his whereabouts. Police noted that both brothers belong to a family traditionally engaged in the old-clothes trade across different parts of the country — a cover that aided their prolonged evasion.

The 2006 Mumbai Contract Killing

Firasat Ali's alleged involvement in a separate high-profile crime adds another layer to the case. On 14 May 2006, an unidentified human torso wrapped in a plastic bag was discovered near Mastan Talao in Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai. The victim's head and limbs had been severed and disposed of at separate locations to conceal identity.

The case remained unsolved for nearly 12 years until Mumbai Police received fresh intelligence in 2018 identifying the deceased as Kisan Kharva. Investigators arrested the victim's wife, Bansiben Kharva, along with Firasat Ali and another accused, Irshad Ali. During interrogation, police alleged that Bansiben had hired Firasat Ali and Irshad Ali to kill her husband for ₹2 lakh, reportedly driven by years of domestic abuse. Firasat Ali allegedly carried out the killing, dismembered the body, and disposed of the parts at different locations to prevent identification.

The Arrest Operation

The arrests were carried out by a team of the Anti-Robbery and Snatching Cell (ARSC) under the supervision of ACP Sanjay Kumar Nagpal, with Inspector Robin Tyagi leading the field operations. Acting on specific intelligence received by Head Constable Mintu, investigators established that Firasat Ali was hiding in Moradabad and Shah Nawaz was living under a false identity in Godda.

To ensure neither suspect could alert the other, the Crime Branch formed two separate raiding teams and conducted simultaneous operations on 4 July. Both brothers were apprehended from their respective hideouts and have since been lodged in Tihar Jail. Mumbai Police has been formally informed of Firasat Ali's arrest, as he remains a wanted accused in the Maharashtra contract killing case.