Never knew he was on the run, says 13-year-old boy’s family in Gokalpuri

Recalling the fateful day, Renu shared, “My child went to school that afternoon. He used to return home by 7 pm every day, but that day he didn’t come back.”

“My heart will find peace only when my son’s killer is hanged,” she said. The arrest has reignited hope for closure, though it has also torn open old grief. Renu added that while the wound has turned raw again, she now believes Sandeep will finally get justice.
Sandeep’s father, Sita Ram Bansal, said the family had no idea the killer had been on the run. “We never knew he was on the run. After his arrest and conviction, we didn’t follow the case, but now we’ve learned he escaped and has been rearrested,” he said.
“My son Sandeep was in Class 7 at Ramjas School in Daryaganj. Salim Khan was a physical trainer there. Thirty-one years ago, Salim kidnapped my son from school. He later called our landline demanding ransom money. The police laid a trap and caught him. He admitted to murdering Sandeep and dumping his body in a drain,” Bansal added.

Mourning the loss, the victim’s elder brother Sanjay said his brother would never come back. “But I hope this never happens to anyone else,” he said.

Salim was convicted to life in 1997 in the abduction and murder of Sandeep. However, after serving five years, he jumped interim bail in 2000 and has been on the run ever since.

Salim came under media spotlight in recent months after he was attacked in February by two brothers who were allegedly provoked by his views on Islam that he posted on his YouTube channel.