Ex-Muslim YouTuber Saleem Wastik Arrested In 31-Year-Old Kidnapping, Murder Case

Last Updated:April 25, 2026, 12:59 IST

Delhi Police Crime Branch arrests YouTuber Saleem Wastik in Ghaziabad for a 1995 Delhi kidnapping and murder, he had absconded since 2000 while on interim bail

In an unexpected turn of events, the Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested YouTuber Saleem Wastik in connection with a 31-year-old kidnapping and murder case dating back to 1995.

Saleem, a former Muslim known for his controversial public statements and critical views on Islam, who made headlines after he suffered a stabbing attack, was living under a false identity for over two decades.

He was apprehended from Loni in Ghaziabad following a tip-off, with police confirming his identity through old records, fingerprints, and photographs. Officials said he had been absconding since 2000 after securing an interim bail from the Delhi High Court and failing to return.

The case dates back to January 1995, when 13-year-old Sandeep Bansal, son of a Delhi-based businessman, was kidnapped while on his way to school in northeast Delhi. A day later, the family received a ransom call demanding Rs 30,000 along with threats. Despite the demand, the child was killed, and his body was later recovered from a drain in the Mustafabad area.

During the investigation, police suspicion fell upon Salim Khan (now known as Saleem Wastik), who was teaching martial arts at the child’s school at the time. Upon interrogation, he confessed to the crime, and the child’s body was recovered based on the information provided by him.

Saleem and his accomplice were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, Saleem absconded in 2000 while on interim bail. The High Court later upheld his conviction in 2011, by which time he had already disappeared.

Over the years, he managed to evade arrest by adopting a new identity and even faking his own death to mislead authorities. He began living as Salim Ahmed, later gaining attention as a YouTuber and self-styled social activist.

According to police, the accused spent years moving between locations in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh before eventually settling in Loni, where he ran a women’s clothing shop.

Police said the arrest was carried out by a Crime Branch team led by Inspector Robin Tyagi after intelligence inputs suggested that a known YouTuber could be a long-absconding criminal. The identity was verified before the arrest.

Earlier this year, Saleem Ahmed, also known as Saleem Wastik, was stabbed multiple times in his office at Ali Garden shortly after morning prayers on February 27. According to police, two helmeted assailants arrived on a motorcycle and attacked him, inflicting critical injuries to his neck, abdomen and ear before fleeing the scene.

Ahmed was first admitted to a local hospital and later referred to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in Delhi, where his condition was described as extremely serious. In connection with that case, police later shot dead two suspects in an encounter.

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