New Delhi/Sidhi – After evading arrest for over two decades, a former Army personnel convicted of killing his wife has been apprehended by the Delhi Police Crime Branch from his native village in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh. The accused, Anil Kumar Tiwari (58), had jumped parole in 2005 and lived under the radar for nearly 20 years.
Tiwari, who once served as a driver in the Indian Army’s Ordnance Corps, was convicted in 1989 for the strangulation and murder of his wife, whom he later attempted to set on fire in a bid to stage the crime as a suicide. He was sentenced to life imprisonment that same year.
In November 2005, the Delhi High Court granted Tiwari a two-week parole, during which he absconded. Despite multiple efforts over the years, law enforcement agencies were unable to trace him—until now.
Life on the Run
During his years as a fugitive, Tiwari remarried and fathered four children, police said. He managed to remain undetected by avoiding digital footprints, such as mobile phones and bank accounts, and frequently changing locations and jobs, primarily working as a driver in various parts of the country.
“He was constantly on the move and dealt only in cash. There was no financial or digital trail, making it extremely difficult to track him,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam.
The breakthrough came after intelligence inputs suggested his presence in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, and later closer to his ancestral village in Sidhi. A dedicated Crime Branch team conducted ground-level verification, leading to his arrest on April 12.
Back to Jail
During interrogation, Tiwari reportedly confessed to his long-time strategy of evasion. Authorities say he used aliases, worked off-the-books, and avoided drawing attention—deliberate tactics that allowed him to slip through the cracks of the law for nearly 20 years.
He is now back in police custody and is expected to be transferred to Tihar Jail to serve the remainder of his life sentence.
The case has highlighted serious concerns about parole violations and post-release monitoring, especially in cases involving convicted murderers.
