How Did Delhi Crime Branch Capture a Notorious Robbery-Murder Fugitive After 25 Years?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Ajay Lamba was a fugitive for 25 years.
- He was involved in multiple robbery-cum-murder cases.
- Lamba's gang operated by murdering taxi drivers.
- He changed his identity multiple times.
- Ongoing investigations aim to uncover his network.
New Delhi, July 6 (NationPress) In a significant breakthrough, the Crime Branch of Delhi Police has successfully captured Ajay Lamba alias Bansi, a notorious criminal who had evaded law enforcement for 25 years.
Wanted for his involvement in four brutal robbery-cum-murder cases spanning Delhi and Uttarakhand, Lamba was apprehended by the NDR/R.K. Puram team after an extensive and meticulous operation that combined both technical and manual surveillance.
Declared a proclaimed offender, he had been on the run since 2001 concerning FIR No. 77/2001 lodged at PS New Ashok Nagar under sections 302, 307, 201, 392, and 34 of the IPC. A school dropout from Krishna Nagar, Delhi, Lamba turned to crime at a young age and was previously listed as a Bad Character from PS Vikas Puri.
By 1996, he had assumed a new identity and moved to Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, where he formed a deadly alliance with accomplices Dhirendra and Dilip Negi. His modus operandi was chilling: the gang would hire taxi drivers, murder them, steal their vehicles, and discard the bodies in remote hilly areas to avoid detection.
The stolen vehicles were reportedly sold in Nepal. Between 1999 and 2001, four such cases were registered against him in Delhi, Haldwani, Almora, and Champawat.
“He resided in Nepal for about a decade from 2008 to 2018 before moving to Dehradun with his family. In 2020, he allegedly became embroiled in the ganja supply chain from Odisha to various regions in India, including Delhi,” stated Aditya Gautam, DCP, Crime Branch.
In 2021, he was arrested under the NDPS Act at PS Sagarpur, and again in 2024 for a dacoity at a jewellery shop in Behrampur, Odisha—both times managing to secure bail without revealing his status as a fugitive.
The arrest was executed by a team led by Inspectors Rakesh Kumar and Anuj Kumar, along with SIs Amit, Yatander Malik, and other team members.
Ongoing investigations aim to uncover his remaining network and past criminal activities.