New Delhi

A 63-year-old former Indian Navy employee, believed to have been dead for nearly two decades, has now been arrested in connection with a relative's murder, as also the alleged burning to death of two labourers in 2004 as part of a ploy to fake his own death. According to reports, he confessed to the crimes.

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Balesh Kumar, who had been leading a life under a new identity as Aman Singh and working as a property dealer in west Delhi's Najafgarh area, was taken into custody on September 28.

After his retirement from the Indian Navy as a steward in 1996, Kumar entered the transport business. Originally hailing from Haryana's Panipat, he had limited formal education, having completed studies up to Class 8.

He managed to hide his existence for years, living with his family under the guise of Aman Singh and working as a property dealer.

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The 2004 murders and faked death

On April 18, 2004, in an inebriated state, Balesh Kumar allegedly murdered his brother-in-law, Rajesh, at Transport Nagar in Samaypur Badli.

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His brother, Sunder Lal, was also purportedly involved in the crime and was subsequently arrested. However, Kumar managed to evade capture by fleeing to the northern state of Rajasthan in his truck, accompanied by two labourers.

In Rajasthan, he resorted to an unthinkable act, setting his own truck ablaze with the two labourers inside, resulting in their tragic deaths. During the investigation by the Rajasthan police, one of the deceased was identified as Kumar, while the other remained unidentified. Kumar confessed that he orchestrated this horrifying act to ensure his wife could claim insurance and pension benefits. This revelation adds a sinister dimension to his carefully constructed ruse.

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Following the events in Rajasthan, Kumar eluded the authorities and embarked on a journey that took him to Punjab, where he worked as a truck driver. He remained hidden from the radar for years before making a daring return to Delhi in 2011. His reentry into the city marked a continuation of his clandestine existence, further blurring the lines between reality and deception.

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