Who is Salim Wastik? (Images: X)
Popular YouTuber Salim Wastik, who often identified himself publicly as an “ex-Muslim,” has now been arrested in connection with a shocking 31-year-old kidnap and murder case. The arrest has brought back details of a crime that dates all the way to 1995, when a young boy from Delhi was abducted and killed.
As per reports, officials said Salim Wastik had been living under a false identity for years. He was finally tracked down in Ghaziabad’s Loni area after a tip-off. Police confirmed his identity through old records, fingerprints, and photographs. He has now been sentenced to life imprisonment in Tihar Jail on charges of kidnapping, extortion, and murder.
Reports say that the case dates back to January 20th, 1995 when Sandeep Bansal, the 13 year old son of a cement businessman, left his home in New Delhi and went to school but never came home to his family. His family searched all over for him but were unable to find him.
The next day, the businessman received a call. The caller said his son had been kidnapped and demanded a ransom of Rs 30,000. The kidnappers told him to leave the money in a bus near the Loni flyover. They also warned that the child would be killed if the police were informed. Despite this, the family contacted the police, and a case was registered at Gokulpuri police station.
The neighbour gave the police a credible lead when he described seeing the boy on the morning of the abduction in teh company of a tall man referred to as “Masterji” within an autorickshaw. After following this lead, police tracked down the suspect, Salim Wastik, aka Saleem Khan, a martial artist and instructor who worked at Ramjas School in Daryaganj.
Once in custody, Wastik confessed and led police to a drain in Mustafabad, which was where they found the boy’s body. He also identified another accomplice, Anil, and provided information to investigate him as well since Anil had planned the abduction and made the ransom calls. Subsequently, Anil was arrested. The police seized the boy’s backpack, tiffin box and watch as evidence in Court
As per reports, on August 5, 1997, the Karkardooma Court convicted Saleem Khan, also known as Salim Wastik, and Anil, sentencing them to life imprisonment. Both later appealed in the Delhi High Court. In 2000, Salim Wastik was granted interim bail on November 24, but he disappeared soon after and never returned.
In 2011, the Delhi High Court upheld his sentence, but by then he was already absconding. To avoid being caught, Salim Wastik declared himself dead and started living under new names, including Salim Ahmed. For nearly a decade, he hid in places like Karnal and Ambala in Haryana, working as a wardrobe maker.
Later, around 2010, Salim Wastik moved to Loni in Ghaziabad. There, he opened a women’s clothing store and slowly built a new life. Over time, he became known as a social activist and a YouTuber, gaining attention for his controversial videos and statements on religion and terrorism.
According to reports, a Bollywood producer was even planning a biopic on his life and had paid him an advance of Rs 1.5 million. However, before anything could happen, police finally tracked him down. His arrest came after years of hiding, bringing an end to a long manhunt linked to the 1995 murder case.
Salim Wastik was attacked at his house in Ghaziabad just several weeks ago before he was arrested. CCTV footage shows two attackers identified as Zeeshan and his brother Gulfam entering Salim’s home and attacking Salim with a knife.
In the footage, Salim was sitting on his couch watching something on his cell phone when two men entered his house through a door made of glass. They rode up on a motorcycle without any license plate and had full-faced motorcycle helmets on. The two attackers did not take off their helmets but began stabbing Salim almost immediately after entering his home. As they attacked Salim, they stated to him that, “You are insulting our Prophet. You are insulting our God.”
He suffered serious injuries to his neck, abdomen, and ear. Reports said the attackers even tried to slit his throat. Family members and neighbours rushed him to a nearby 50-bed hospital, from where he was referred to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in Delhi for treatment. A case was filed by his son Usman. Both attackers, who carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh, were later killed in separate police encounters, Zeeshan on March 1 and Gulfam on March 3.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
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