Got two-week parole in 2005: Ex-armyman who killed wife nabbed 20 years later, now father of 4 with new family

NEW DELHI: A former Army personnel who had been absconding for over two decades after jumping parole while serving a life sentence for murdering his wife has been arrested from his native village in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi Police officials said.

The accused, Anil Kumar Tiwari (58), originally from Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh, was convicted in 1989 for killing his wife by strangling her and setting her body on fire. He initially attempted to portray the murder as a case of suicide but was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment the same year.

Tiwari was granted a two-week parole in 2005 by the Delhi High Court, but he never returned to prison and had been on the run ever since. On April 12, the Delhi Police Crime Branch managed to trace and arrest him from his native village, bringing an end to his 20-year-long run.

According to police, Tiwari, who previously served as a driver in the Indian Army's Ordnance Corps, successfully evaded authorities by avoiding mobile phone usage, conducting transactions only in cash, and frequently changing his residence and employment.

“In November 2005, Tiwari was granted an interim suspension of sentence for two weeks, during which he absconded. The Crime Branch formed a special team to trace him. Inputs suggested his presence in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and later near his village in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh. The team conducted ground-level verification and finally apprehended him,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam.

During interrogation, Tiwari told police he was constantly on the move, working as a driver in various cities while ensuring no digital or financial trace could be linked to him. He also admitted to remarrying during his time on the run and is now the father of four children from his second marriage.