Recently, the arrest of Delhi-based YouTuber Salim Wastic, who gained attention by calling himself an ‘Ex-Muslim’, has raised several questions. On 25 April 2026, Delhi Police arrested him in connection with a 1995 case involving the kidnapping and murder of a 13-year-old boy named Sandeep.
Salim Khan (his real name) had been absconding for 26 years. This incident has shown how complex a person’s life can be – on one hand, an old crime; on the other, openly speaking about serious issues related to Islam under a new identity.
**The 1995 Incident: A Tragic Chapter**
On 20 January 1995, 13-year-old Sandeep from Kabul Nagar in Delhi did not reach school. His family searched for him, and later received information about his kidnapping. A ransom demand was made, but the investigation led to Salim Khan’s name surfacing.
At that time, Salim was teaching martial arts at Ramjas School and knew the family. During interrogation, he helped recover Sandeep’s body from a drain in Mustafabad. In 1997, the court found him guilty. The Delhi High Court upheld the conviction for kidnapping and murder in 2011 (the ransom charge was dropped).
This was a massive shock for the family. The murder of a child is something no society can accept.
**Absconding on Bail and Starting a New Life with a New Identity**
In 2000, he was granted bail for two weeks, but Salim did not surrender. He lived in various places, changing his name to Salim Wastic or Salim Ahmed. He ran a women’s clothing shop in Loni, Ghaziabad.
During this period, he started a YouTube channel and presented himself as a social activist. He openly raised questions about certain practices in Islam, such as women’s rights, halala, polygamy, and some forms of religious extremism. Many people appreciated his work and also provided him financial support. He confronted Islam openly and boldly, due to which he made many radical Muslim enemies who wanted to take his life.
**The Life-Threatening Attack in February 2026:**
On 27 February 2026, two people carried out a murderous attack on his house, in which he suffered a serious injury to his neck. He survived but remained in the hospital for weeks. The attackers were later killed in an encounter.
This attack was tragic. It was given as punishment for criticizing Islam. It was only after this attack that the police discovered his old identity and arrested him. He is currently serving his sentence in Tihar Jail.
**Conclusion: Past, Present, and Lessons**
Salim Wastic’s case teaches us many things:
– No matter how old a crime may be, the justice system eventually does its job. The murder of a child is a serious crime and deserves punishment.
– A person can commit crimes in life that continue to haunt them through their karma. However, the work he did against Islam in later years also cannot be ignored.
– The crimes he committed were done when he was a Muslim, but after leaving Islam, he tried to leave all evils behind and live a good life.
– Salim Wastic had always said that earlier he was a goon and a terrorist whom people feared. He had admitted that he had done many bad things in the past. But he always hid the specific crime for which he has now been sentenced and arrested.
We neither support Salim Wastic nor can we ignore his current character and hard work. This is a complex case in which, on one side, an innocent child lost his life, and on the other, one person has exposed the reality of Islam to the world.
The law has taken its course. We can learn a lot from this incident – (1) Even an Ex-Muslim can be a criminal with a dark past. (2) Even the biggest criminal can try to reform his life and live a good life in society, but only after fully serving the punishment for his crimes.
