The Delhi Police has uncovered a highly sensational case where a former Navy employee not only burned two people alive to evade a murder case but also faked his own death to stay hidden from the police for 20 years. The accused has been arrested.
According to the Delhi Police, the Crime Branch arrested Balesh Kumar, accused of murdering a relative and burning two laborers alive, from a house in Najafgarh. The accused was living with his family under the false name Aman Singh.
Police revealed that when Balesh was 40, he allegedly murdered his relative, Rajesh alias Khushiram, in the Bawana area of Delhi in 2004 for money. He was also accused of having an illicit relationship with Rajesh's wife. The police arrested Balesh's brother Sunder Lal in 2004, who was also involved in the murder. However, Balesh managed to elude them.
Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav stated that Balesh was in the transport business at the time. After the incident, he fled to Rajasthan in a truck, set it ablaze, and burned his two employees alive. During the investigation, the Rajasthan Police identified one of the bodies as Balesh. The other was declared unclaimed. Later, Balesh's family members also identified a body as his.
The Rajasthan Police closed the case considering the main suspect dead. After faking his death, Balesh fled to Punjab and, with the help of his family, managed to obtain a forged identity card. He changed his name to Aman Singh and remained in contact with his wife. His family succeeded in claiming insurance benefits and a pension from the Navy. The truck involved in the incident was registered under Balesh's brother Mahinder Singh, and the insurance claim for it was also collected by his family, deposited into his wife's account.
Balesh then moved to Najafgarh, Delhi, to live with his family. However, acting on a secret tip-off, the police managed to apprehend him from his home. During interrogation, he confessed to being involved in the murders of his relative and two laborers from Bihar. The Delhi Police claimed that Balesh had also stolen artifacts from Kota House in Delhi in 2000, with a theft case registered against him at Tilak Marg Police Station.
The police are investigating the roles of Balesh's wife and other family members in his crimes, and all will be prosecuted. A native of Panipat, Haryana, Balesh studied up to 8th grade. He joined the Navy as a steward in 1981 and served until 1996. After retiring, he rented a house in Uttam Nagar, Delhi. At the time of his arrest, Balesh was working as a property dealer in Najafgarh.
