Serial Killer Targeting Cab Drivers Caught After 24 Years
A serial killer who specifically targeted cab drivers and then sold their vehicles has finally been arrested by the Delhi Police crime branch after a long pursuit spanning 24 years.
Chilling Operation
Ajay Lamba, the culprit wanted for involvement in four murder-cum-robbery cases, has been captured. His modus operandi involved luring cab drivers, sedating them during trips to Uttarakhand, strangling them, and subsequently disposing of their bodies in the hills. The stolen cabs were then smuggled across the border and sold in Nepal.
Police Statement
According to Aditya Gautam, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lamba was a known robber-cum-murderer who orchestrated these brutal crimes across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand in 2001. He, along with his accomplices, would hire taxis, execute the drivers, loot the vehicles, and hide the bodies in secluded mountainous areas to evade detection.
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities suspect Lamba and his associates may be responsible for additional murders beyond the reported four cases. While only one victim’s body has been recovered thus far, two of Lamba’s partners have been previously apprehended. The police are now interrogating Lamba to gather more information.
Criminal Background
Lamba, aged 48 and a resident of Delhi, dropped out of school early and later relocated to Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. There, he collaborated with Dhirendra and Dilip Negi to carry out the gruesome killings of cab drivers. Aside from these heinous acts, Lamba has a history of various offenses, including theft and illegal possession of weapons, as per the authorities.
Past Activities
The police have revealed that a specialized Crime Branch unit had been closely monitoring Lamba through both manual and technical surveillance. It was disclosed that Lamba resided in Nepal from 2008 to 2018 before moving to Dehradun with his family. Moreover, he reportedly engaged in the narcotics trade starting from 2020, from Odisha to multiple parts of India, including Delhi. These illicit activities led to his recent arrests in drug-related charges in 2021 in Delhi and a jewelry store robbery case in Behrampur, Odisha in 2024, despite being out on bail. Despite being linked to the 2001 murders, Lamba had kept his criminal involvement and absconding status concealed, as stated by the police.
