The Delhi Police arrested Devender Sharma, 67, also known as “Doctor Death” on May 20. Sharma was arrested from an ashram in the Dausa district of Rajasthan. His case is a chilling reminder of one of India’s most infamous serial killing sprees. The arrest comes after escaping parole where he was serving life sentences at Tihar Jail.

Sharma is a former Ayurvedic practitioner who later became a serial killer. He had been at large since August 2023. Sharma was living under a false identity, posing as a spiritual leader, according to Aditya Gautam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), who also confirmed the arrest.

Over 50 Murders, Victims fed to Crocodile

Doctor Death’s crimes include more than 50 confirmed murders, mostly of truck and taxi drivers. Furthermore a kidney transplant racket that took advantage of poor people in multiple states are among Sharma’s crimes. He hired taxi drivers for fake trips, killed them, and sold their cars on the black market. He would then dump the bodies in the crocodile-infested Hazara Canal in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh. This was his most heinous method of operation.

“Sharma and his accomplices used to call drivers on fake trips, murder them and sell their vehicles in the grey market,” DCP Gautam said. He also stated that “The bodies were then thrown into the Hazara Canal, known for its crocodile population, to erase all evidence.”

The total number of murders attributed to Sharma could exceed 100. “He enjoyed the bloodshed,” remarked one senior investigator, pointing to Sharma’s remorseless confessions. According to reports, his gang used to dismantle trucks and sell them in the markets.

Arrested from Ashram

The Delhi Police Crime Branch tracked Sharma through several cities, including Aligarh, Jaipur, Delhi, Agra, and Prayagraj. His arrest comes over the course of a six-month operation by the Delhi police. He was ultimately found hiding in plain sight at an ashram, dressed as a priest and living under a fake name.

“Sharma had jumped parole in August 2023 while serving his sentence at Tihar Jail and had been on the run since. Crime branch was tasked to search for him. Following a six-month-long operation spanning several cities including Aligarh, Jaipur, Delhi, Agra and Prayagraj, the team tracked him to an ashram in Dausa, where he was posing as a spiritual man under a false identity,” said the DCP.

From Doctor to Killer

Sharma received his Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) in 1984. He was born in Pureni village in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. For more than ten years, he ran a small clinic in Dausa, Rajasthan. After losing ₹11 lakh in a gas dealership scam in 1994, he started to turn to crime. Sharma soon entered the illicit organ trade and started running a phony gas agency.

Sharma operated a kidney transplant racket between the years 1998 and 2004. He arranged more than 125 illegal surgeries in various states while frequently enticing victims from Bihar, Bengal, and Nepal with financial promises. According to reports, he charged up to ₹7 lakh for each transplant.

Multiple Convictions, Yet Multiple Paroles

After being detained in 2004, Sharma was found guilty in several murder cases in Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana.This includes the deaths of taxi drivers Naresh Verma and Kamal Singh. He was given the death penalty by a Gurgaon court and sentenced to life in prison in seven different cases.

“He was sentenced to life imprisonment in seven separate murder cases across Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana, and even received the death penalty from a Gurgaon court in one case. Police believe he was responsible for over 50 murders,” said the officer.

“Sharma had been serving a life sentence in Tihar Jail for the brutal killings of several taxi and truck drivers between 2002 and 2004, when he jumped parole in August 2023,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam.

This was not Sharma’s first parole jump. In 2020, he was granted a 20-day parole but absconded for seven months before being re-arrested. Despite this, he was granted parole again in June 2023, from which he absconded on August 3.

A Long Criminal Record

Sharma’s criminal history includes at least 27 cases involving murder, kidnapping, robbery, and illegal organ trade. While he has already been sentenced in several of these, many legal proceedings are still ongoing.