Townhall Times News Network: Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has finally arrested the notorious serial killer known as ‘Doctor Death’. The convict, who was serving a life sentence, had jumped parole and was absconding. He was tracked down at an ashram in Rajasthan’s Dausa district, where he was living disguised as a spiritual guru. The accused has been identified as Dr. Devender Sharma (67), a BAMS (Ayurveda) degree holder. He faces charges for the murder of 21 taxi drivers, with cases filed against him in police stations across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan. He was also a key player in a kidney racket that carried out more than 125 illegal transplants between 1994 and 2004.
According to DCP (Crime) Aditya Gautam, Devender Sharma was previously lodged in Tihar Jail under serious charges of murder, abduction, robbery, and destruction of evidence filed at Sarita Vihar police station in Delhi. On June 9, 2023, he was released on two-month parole but failed to surrender on August 3, instead going underground.
Hiding in Dausa, Rajasthan – Arrested After Police Posed as Devotees
A team led by ACP Umesh Barthwal, including Inspector Rakesh Kumar, Anuj Kumar, and SI Amit Grewal, pursued Sharma for six months across Aligarh, Jaipur, and Delhi. Eventually, intelligence led them to an ashram in Dausa, Rajasthan, where the fugitive was posing as a spiritual leader. The officers disguised themselves as devotees to confirm his identity before arresting him.
Cheated of ₹11 Lakh, Turned to Crime
During interrogation, Devender revealed that he was originally from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, and that his father had worked for a pharmaceutical company in Siwan, Bihar. He earned his BAMS degree in 1984 and opened a clinic in Rajasthan, which he ran for 11 years. However, in 1994, he was defrauded of ₹11 lakh under the pretext of a gas dealership, which plunged him into financial distress.
Mastermind of a Kidney Racket
Following the financial setback, Devender turned to crime in 1995 and began operating a fake gas agency. Around this time, he met Dr. Amit, and together they orchestrated a massive illegal kidney transplant racket that operated from 1994 to 2004. Each transplant fetched them ₹5–7 lakh. Devender’s role was that of a broker—he arranged donors and played a key middleman in the racket.
Murders and Life Sentences
In 2004, Devender was first arrested in Gurgaon for performing illegal kidney transplants. Around the same time, his gang began abducting and murdering victims, particularly taxi drivers. The gang would kill the drivers and sell their vehicles in Uttar Pradesh, making ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 per vehicle. Devender has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in seven different cases across Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana. In one case, a Gurgaon court even awarded him the death penalty. Devender claims he has murdered more than 50 individuals. His criminal past came to light in 2004, after which his wife and children severed all ties with him. Notably, he had also jumped parole in 2020 and remained on the run for seven months.
Bodies Dumped in Crocodile-Infested Canal
Devender confessed during interrogation that after killing taxi and truck drivers, he would dump their bodies in the Hazara canal located in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh. The canal is known to have a large population of crocodiles, which would consume the bodies, leaving no trace. This gruesome method helped him evade detection by the police. When he was first arrested in 2004, police teams found no remains in the canal.
As of now, ‘Doctor Death’ has been sent back to prison, and investigations into the serious charges against him are being revived.
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