NEW DELHI: A 12-year-long manhunt for a man who kidnapped and murdered an eight-year-old boy for ransom ended with his arrest in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The accused, Beghraj, evaded capture for over a decade by adopting a new identity and working as a labourer.
The ordeal began on February 3, 2004, when Radhe Shyam reported his eight-year-old son missing. Two days later, a chilling phone call was made to a neighbour’s house—the kidnappers demanded a ransom of ₹2 lakhs for the boy’s safe return.
Suspecting the involvement of close relatives, Dharambir and his brother Beghraj, the police, along with Radhe Shyam, conducted a raid in Muzaffarnagar, where the calls originated.
The raid led to the arrest of Beghraj and his accomplice, Kiran. During interrogation, a horrifying truth emerged: the boy had been murdered, and his body was disposed of in a sugarcane field. As per the accused’s confession, the police recovered the body and the murder weapon, a knife.
Beghraj and Kiran were subsequently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, while Dharambir was acquitted. However, in a turn of events, Beghraj was granted parole in January 2012, with the condition that he surrender to jail authorities by February 19. He brazenly violated this order and disappeared.
For the next 12 years, Beghraj lived a life of subterfuge, frequently changing locations and adopting different identities. He worked as a labourer in various parts of the country, including Jalandhar (Punjab), Parikshitgarh (Meerut), and Madhya Pradesh. To further obscure his trail, he occasionally stayed with relatives.
Approximately a year ago, Beghraj relocated to Muzaffarnagar, where he worked as a daily-wage mason, earning ₹500-600 per day. He avoided his native village and lived with his second wife in a nearby village. To complete his disguise, he adopted the alias Anil Kumar.
During interrogation, Beghraj confessed to the heinous crime. According to the police, the motive stemmed from a long-standing feud between Dharambir, the complainant’s brother, and the accused. The kidnapping was orchestrated to extort ransom, but the situation tragically escalated, leading to the boy’s murder.
