유튜버, 신원을 바꾼 후 31년 전 소년 살해 혐의로 체포

A prominent YouTuber and social activist, Salim Wastik, has been arrested by Delhi Police for a 1995 kidnapping and murder. Previously known as Salim Khan, he had been on the run for 26 years after escaping interim bail. His newfound fame as a vocal critic of Islam ultimately led to his capture, bringing a decades-old cold case to a close.

YouTuber Salim Wastik NEW DELHI: In a dramatic turn of events that bridges a decades-old cold case with modern-day social media fame, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has apprehended Salim Wastik, a YouTuber and social activist known for his vocal criticism of Islam, in a two-decade-old kidnapping and murder charge.According to police, Wastik, who had successfully reinvented himself as a public figure and was recently signed for a Bollywood biopic, was revealed to be Salim Khan, a convicted murderer who had been on the run for 26 years.The arrest concludes a pursuit that began in January 1995, following the kidnapping and brutal murder of 13-year-old Sandeep Bansal. Sandeep, the son of a North East Delhi cement businessman, disappeared on January 20, 1995, while traveling to his second-shift classes at Ramjas School in Daryaganj.The following day, his father, Sita Ram, received ransom demands totaling Rs 30,000, with instructions to leave the cash on a bus headed toward Baghpat. Despite the family’s cooperation, the young boy never returned.Initial police suspicion fell upon Salim Khan, who was then serving as a martial arts instructor at Sandeep’s school. After a neighbor reported seeing the child leaving in a rickshaw with a tall male known as "Masterji," police confronted Khan.Under interrogation, Khan confessed to the crime and led investigators to a drain in Mustafabad, where Sandeep’s body was recovered. His accomplice, a man named Anil, later surrendered and was found to have planned the kidnapping for financial gain. In 1997, both men were sentenced to life imprisonment.The trajectory of the case shifted in 2000 when the Delhi High Court granted Salim Khan interim bail. Instead of returning to custody, Khan vanished. To deceive law enforcement, he reportedly declared himself dead and assumed the new identity of Salim Ahmed, eventually adopting the moniker Salim Wastik.For over a quarter-century, he evaded capture by moving through various regions in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, working as an almirah maker and later opening a ladies' clothing shop in Loni, Ghaziabad.While living under his assumed identity, Wastik rose to national prominence as a "social activist" and YouTuber. He gained significant traction for his controversial stances on religious issues and national security.However, this fame proved to be his undoing. "A team led by Inspector Robin Tyagi and supervised by ACP Sanjay Kumar Nagpal was tasked with tracking long-term parole jumpers. Acting on secret information provided by HC Mintu Yadav, the team utilized fingerprints and old photographs to confirm that the famous "Ex-Muslim Salim Wastik" was, in fact, the fugitive Salim Khan," said DCP (crime) Sanjeev Yadav.Before his ultimate capture by the Delhi Police, Wastik’s new life had already turned violent. In February 2026, he survived a targeted stabbing at his office in Loni, which left him with multiple wounds to the neck and abdomen. The attack, motivated by his religious commentary, prompted the Uttar Pradesh Police to provide him with Personal Security Officers (PSOs).In the weeks following the assault, the UP Special Task Force killed both of his alleged attackers in separate shootouts.The Delhi Police Crime Branch finally moved in to arrest Wastik in Loni, Ghaziabad, shortly after he had recovered from his injuries.Officials described the operation as a testament to the "long arm of the law," noting that no amount of identity-shifting or public fame could erase a standing conviction for murder. Following the completion of legal formalities, the man once known to his followers as Salim Wastik has been returned to Tihar Jail to serve the remainder of his life sentence.PollDo you believe that the justice system should be more stringent for perpetrators who use a false identity?Yes, to prevent future crimes.No, the system is already strict enough.Get real-time updates and result insights on the UBSE UK Board Results 2026 and CBSE 12th Result 2026You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi