Delhi serial killer arrested after 24 years for killing cab drivers, dumping bodies, smuggling vehicles

A man accused of killing multiple taxi drivers and selling off their vehicles in Nepal has been arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch after evading arrest for 24 years. The accused, Ajay Lamba (48), was wanted in four robbery-cum-murder cases from 2001. According to police, Lamba and his accomplices would hire taxis from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, sedate and strangle the drivers, dump their bodies in remote hilly areas, and smuggle the stolen vehicles across the border.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam said, “The accused, a notorious robber-cum-murderer, was involved in four brutal robbery-cum-murder cases targeting cab drivers across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand during the year 2001. He would hire taxis with accomplices, murder the drivers, rob the vehicles, and dispose of the bodies in remote mountainous regions to avoid detection.” Police said only one of the four victims’ bodies was recovered. Two of Lamba’s gang members were arrested earlier.

Lamba, a resident of Delhi, had dropped out of school in Class 6. He later moved to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh where he met Dhirendra and Dilip Negi, who became his accomplices. Apart from the murder cases, Lamba also faces charges of theft and illegal possession of arms. Police suspect that he and his associates may be linked to more killings. Investigations are ongoing to determine if additional unsolved cases are connected.

Police said Lamba lived in Nepal from 2008 to 2018. He later moved with his family to Dehradun in Uttarakhand. In 2020, he allegedly became involved in the ganja supply network from Odisha to different parts of India, including Delhi. Police stated that he was arrested in 2021 under the NDPS Act at PS Sagarpur in Delhi and again in 2024 in a jewellery shop dacoity case in Behrampur, Odisha. He was out on bail in both cases but never disclosed his past crimes or absconding status.

The Crime Branch team had been tracking Lamba for years through a combination of manual and technical surveillance. He had been living under different identities while continuing his criminal activities. Police are now questioning him for further details and to determine the possible involvement of other accomplices or additional cases.