Arrest of Notorious Serial Killer 'Doctor Death' After Six-Month Manhunt
The Capture of 'Doctor Death'
On Sunday, Delhi Police apprehended a notorious serial killer known as 'Doctor Death' in Dausa, Rajasthan. He had been masquerading as a priest in an ashram under a false identity. The police confirmed his arrest on Tuesday, following his mysterious disappearance from parole earlier in 2023, as reported by a senior police official.
Devender Sharma, a 67-year-old former Ayurveda practitioner, was convicted in multiple murder cases and gained infamy for disposing of his victims' remains in the crocodile-infested waters of the Hazara Canal in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh.
He received life sentences in seven different cases across Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana, with a Gurugram court even imposing the death penalty on him.
The Infamous ‘Doctor Death’
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Aditya Gautam, Sharma, who holds a BAMS degree, was serving a life sentence in Tihar Jail for the brutal murders of several taxi and truck drivers between 2002 and 2004 when he escaped parole in August 2023.
DCP Gautam explained that Sharma and his accomplices lured drivers with fake trip offers, murdered them, and sold their vehicles in the grey market.
To eliminate evidence, the bodies were disposed of in the Hazara Canal, known for its crocodile population. Sharma has a lengthy criminal record, with at least 27 cases involving murder, kidnapping, and robbery.
His notoriety began with an illegal kidney transplant racket he operated from 1998 to 2004, during which he admitted to facilitating over 125 illegal transplants with the assistance of doctors and middlemen across various states.
Sharma turned to crime after suffering significant financial losses from a failed gas dealership in 1994. He subsequently ran a fake gas agency and ventured into the illegal organ trade, eventually leading to targeted killings of taxi drivers. His method involved hiring taxis, murdering the drivers, and selling their vehicles, with the bodies being fed to crocodiles.
In 2004, he was arrested for both the kidney racket and the serial killings. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in seven murder cases across Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana, and received the death penalty from a Gurugram court in one instance. Authorities suspect he is responsible for over 50 murders. During his time as a fugitive, he lived disguised as a priest in an ashram in Dausa, Rajasthan.
Sharma had previously absconded while on parole. In 2020, he failed to return after a 20-day parole and evaded capture for seven months before being caught in Delhi. In June 2023, he was granted another two-month parole for a case at Sarita Vihar police station but vanished after August 3, 2023.