Woman convicted of killing 10-year-old held in Delhi after 20 years in hiding

NEW DELHI: For more than 20 years, Sadhana managed to live away from prison where she was to serve a life sentence. A life convict in a kidnapping-murder case of a 10-year-old boy, Sadhana went missing after walking out on parole in Dec 2005.Over the years, police said, she changed her name, moved cities and built a new life as Pooja. Last week, Delhi Police’s crime branch arrested her in Haridwar.The case dates back to Jan 6, 1990, when the boy went missing from Azadpur T-point. Police said witnesses Jagdish Chand and Vasdev had seen Sadhana holding his hand while crossing GT Road around 5.30pm. Sadhana and co-accused Raj Kumar were arrested from Jahangirpuri.The two were living together and the child’s father, Balwant Ram, and his family had objected to it. A previous dispute led to resentment and a decision to take revenge, police said.During the trial, Sadhana was found to be the last person seen with the child. Police said she had also concealed Kumar’s presence at her house and played an active role in the conspiracy. She was convicted under sections 302 (murder), 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and sentenced to life imprisonment. Sadhana was lodged in Tihar Jail on Jan 9, 1990.After spending years in jail, Sadhana was released on parole on Dec 27, 2005, which was extended by three weeks on medical grounds. She, however, did not surrender on Jan 18, 2006, and began a second life.She changed her name to Pooja and moved through different places to avoid detection. Police said her final parole was arranged by another Raj Kumar, a Tilak Nagar resident, on the reference of Janki, a woman who was lodged with Sadhana in jail. Sadhana stayed with him before taking up a job at a private company in Noida.There, she met Keshav, a carpenter. They moved to Mukundpur, where they lived for around five years before shifting to Haridwar. Police said Sadhana married Keshav in a temple and used his name as her husband in documents, helping conceal her identity.Meanwhile, investigators continued to pursue leads through intelligence, old associates and family links. A recent lead about a woman living under an assumed identity took a team to Haridwar and Sadhana was arrested on Sept 27. Her years of borrowed independence came to an end as she was sent back to jail.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in DelhiStay updated with the latest Delhi news. Download the TOI App.