'Dead' for 20 years, ex-navy employee arrested by Delhi Police for triple murder
New Delhi (PTI): A 60-year-old ex-Navy employee who faked his death for 20 years was arrested by Delhi Police Crime Branch for allegedly killing a relative and burning to death two labourers, police said on Tuesday.
Balesh Kumar was arrested from a house in Najafgarh where he was staying with his family having changed his name to Aman Singh, police said.
Balesh was 40 when he allegedly killed his brother-in-law, Rajesh alias Khushiram, over money in Delhi's Bawana area in 2004. He also allegedly had an illicit relationship with Rajesh's wife.
Police in 2004 arrested Balesh's brother Sundar Lal, who was also involved in Rajesh's murder, however, Balesh managed to give them a slip.
According to Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav, Balesh, who was in a transport business then, escaped in a truck to Rajasthan.
There he set his truck on fire and burned two of his workers to death.
"Rajasthan Police during the course of investigation identified one of the persons as Balesh, while the other body remained unclaimed. The family members of Balesh also identified one of the bodies as his," Yadav said.
Rajasthan Police closed the case assuming the prime suspect dead.
After faking his death, Balesh fled to Punjab and managed to procure forged identity proof with the help of his family members and changed his name to Aman Singh.
"He remained in touch with his wife and managed to transfer his insurance claim benefits and pension from the Indian Navy to her. Also, the truck involved in the incident was registered in the name of his brother Mahinder Singh, who allowed him to claim the insurance. He got insurance claim for the truck into the account of his wife," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ankit Kumar said.
Balesh then moved to Delhi's Najafgarh with his family and started living with them.
"On a secret tip-off, we managed to nab him from his house on Monday. During the interrogation, he confessed his involvement in the murder of his relative and two labourers from Bihar," Kumar said.
The Delhi Police has informed its counterpart in Rajasthan's Jodhpur about Balesh's arrest and asked them to reopen the burnt truck case.
The Delhi Police claimed that Balesh had also stolen antique items in 2000 from Delhi's Kota House and was booked for theft at Tilak Marg Police Station.
Police are probing the role Balesh's wife and other family members in his crimes and they all will be prosecuted accordingly, Kumar said.
Balesh, a native of Haryana's Panipat, studied up to class 8. In 1981, he joined the Indian Navy as a Steward and served there till 1996.
"After retirement, he took a house on rent in Delhi's Uttam Nagar," the officer said.
At the time of his arrest, Balesh was working as a property dealer in Najafgarh.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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