# Crime Branch arrests 65-year-old in 1984 Delhi murder case after 42 years 2026-08-22T14:38:37+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Delhi Police's Crime Branch has arrested a 65-year-old man, Natthu, for a 1984 murder in Vikaspuri, more than four decades after he went absconding. The body of Ashok Kumar, a Sitapur resident, was found with multiple knife wounds in District Park on May 23, 1984. The Times of India reports that co-accused Bhabhuti Prashad was arrested earlier, but Natthu evaded capture until August 18, when a team led by Inspector Sunil Kumar Kalkhande traced him near his village in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, as he travelled to Farrukhabad. According to police, Natthu and Prashad were friends, and Ashok and Prashad were from the same village. The motive was that Ashok had allegedly made advances towards Prashad's wife. On the night of the murder, the three consumed liquor together in a park, and then Natthu and Prashad allegedly attacked and killed Ashok. The Deccan Herald adds that Natthu, also known as Natthulal, worked in wholesale vegetable markets across Uttar Pradesh during his years on the run, never married, and lived alone to maintain a low profile. The Crime Branch team spent months in Sitapur and Hardoi to trace Natthu, using old case files and field verification. He was arrested after 42 years and is now in police custody. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both sources report the arrest as a routine police success with no critical or sensational framing. The Times of India leads with the Crime Branch's achievement, naming the special CP and DCP, while Deccan Herald uses a PTI wire copy that is more concise but carries the same neutral tone. Neither source questions the long delay or the investigation methods. The story is a straightforward cold-case closure, and the coverage reflects that. The key takeaway is the persistence of the police team and the fact that the accused spent 42 years evading capture by living a quiet, low-profile life. What remains to be seen is whether the court will accept the evidence after such a long gap. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Straight police procedural, leads with Crime Branch action and officer names - deccanherald.com (neutral report) PTI wire copy, concise and factual, no added framing This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-22T15:40:56+00:00. Tags: Ashok Kumar, Crime Branch, Delhi Police, Hardoi, Natthu, Vikaspuri Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-crime-branch-arrests-man-42-years-after-1984-vikaspuri-murder/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-crime-branch-arrests-man-42-years-after-1984-vikaspuri-murder/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/