New Delhi: A man wanted in connection with the killing of a Jahangirpuri meat shop owner following a dispute over prices in 2020 has been arrested in Kanjhawala after allegedly evading arrest for about six years by repeatedly changing his residence, Delhi Police’s Crime Branch said.
Police identified the arrested man as Md. Sheikh Shabbir, 35, and said he was apprehended during a raid in the Kanjhawala area on September 25, 2026. The operation was conducted under Operation Kavach, which focuses on tracing and apprehending long-absconding accused involved in serious offences.
While the other accused in the murder case had been arrested during the investigation, Shabbir had remained untraceable since the incident, according to police.
Price Dispute Allegedly Escalated Into Fatal Assault
The case relates to an incident on April 29, 2020, when Siraj Ali, 35, was working at his meat shop in Jahangirpuri.
According to police, an argument over the price of meat broke out between Ali and Shah Alam. The dispute subsequently escalated into a physical assault.
Police alleged that Shah Alam, along with Md. Sheikh Shabbir and associates identified as Siraj, Salim, Jahoor and Shakil, attacked Ali with iron rods and wooden sticks.
Ali sustained serious injuries and later died, police said.
Jahangirpuri police registered FIR No. 231/2020 on April 29, 2020, under Sections 302, 323 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
Police said the other accused were arrested during the investigation, but Shabbir allegedly avoided arrest by frequently shifting between places of stay.
Information Led Investigators to Kanjhawala
The Crime Branch’s Northern Range-1 team, led by Inspector Pankaj Thakran, was tracing absconding accused in serious cases, including murder and dacoity, when Constable Ankush developed information about Shabbir’s whereabouts.
According to police, the information indicated that Shabbir was hiding in Kanjhawala village.
Investigators developed and corroborated the information through field verification and technical surveillance before organising a raid.
The team entered the Kanjhawala area on September 25 and apprehended Shabbir, police said.
The arresting team comprised Sub-Inspector Bhagyashri, Assistant Sub-Inspectors Anil, Sumit and Ajay, and Constable Ankush, under Inspector Thakran’s leadership.
The operation was supervised by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashok Sharma of Northern Range-1, under the overall supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Chandra Kumar Singh.
Accused Was Engaged in Scrap Dealing, Police Say
In the profile accompanying its statement, police said Shabbir had studied up to Class 12 and was engaged in scrap dealing in the Kanjhawala area. His listed residential address was in Jahangirpuri.
The police account described frequent changes in his places of residence as the method he allegedly used to avoid detection and arrest after the 2020 incident.
Two Earlier Cases Listed
The Crime Branch also listed two previous cases involving Shabbir.
The first was FIR No. 135/2014, registered at Mangolpuri police station under Sections 380, 457, 411 and 34 of the IPC. The second was FIR No. 31/2017, registered at K.N. Katju Marg police station under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC.
The statement listed these as previous involvements but did not specify their outcomes.
Police attributed the arrest in the Jahangirpuri murder case to the development of field information, technical surveillance and verification of Shabbir’s whereabouts. His alleged involvement in the fatal assault remains an accusation, not a finding of guilt.
