Delhi Crime Branch arrests murder accused after 42 years of being on run

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) In a significant breakthrough, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a 65-year-old man who had been absconding for more than four decades in connection with a murder case registered at Janakpuri police station in 1984.

The accused, identified as Natthu alias Natthulal, a resident of Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended by the Central Range of the Crime Branch after sustained efforts spanning several months, police said on Saturday.

According to the police, the case was registered under FIR No. 252/1984 dated May 23, 1984, under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. The arrest brings an end to the accused’s alleged evasion of law enforcement for more than 42 years.

The case dates back to the intervening night of May 22 and 23, 1984, when the body of a man bearing multiple knife injuries was recovered from District Park in Vikaspuri, West Delhi. The deceased was later identified as Ashok Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district.

During the initial investigation, police found the alleged involvement of Bhabhuti Prashad, also a resident of Sitapur. He was subsequently arrested, and the knife allegedly used in the commission of the crime was recovered. However, his co-accused, Natthu alias Natthulal, managed to evade arrest and remained absconding for decades.

Police said the passage of more than four decades and the limited information available in the old case records made tracing the accused a challenging task. The Crime Branch, however, took up the pending arrest as a special challenge and constituted a dedicated team to locate him.

The operation was led by Inspector Sunil Kumar Kalkhande and included SI Devender Antil and Head Constables Vijay Singh Yadav, Samander, Jai Singh, Parveen Kumar, Rahul, Vinod, Ankit and Anoop. The team worked under the close supervision of ACP Central Range Satendra Mohan and under the overall guidance of DCP Crime Branch Aditya Gautam.

Police said the team meticulously examined the details available in the old case files and developed fresh intelligence through extensive field verification. Investigators spent several months in Sitapur and Hardoi districts of Uttar Pradesh to establish the identity, movements and possible whereabouts of the accused.

During verification in Pali in Hardoi district, the Crime Branch received information confirming that the accused was alive and occasionally visited his native village. Based on specific intelligence, the police intensified their ground verification and mounted discreet surveillance in the area.

Investigators later learned that a suspicious person matching the physical description developed by the team had been seen in the village on August 17. Following this input, surveillance was further strengthened.

On August 18, acting on specific intelligence, the Crime Branch team successfully traced Natthu alias Natthulal near his village and apprehended him while he was travelling towards Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the investigation, Natthu and co-accused Bhabhuti Prashad were friends, while Ashok Kumar and Bhabhuti Prashad belonged to the same village. Police said the deceased had allegedly made illicit advances towards Bhabhuti Prashad’s wife, leading to a dispute between the two.

On the night of the incident, the accused and the deceased had consumed liquor together in a park. Police alleged that Natthu and Bhabhuti Prashad subsequently acted in furtherance of their common intention and murdered Ashok Kumar.

During his prolonged period of abscondence, Natthu worked in wholesale vegetable markets at different locations across Uttar Pradesh and maintained a low profile to avoid attracting attention. Police said he never married and lived alone.

The accused is also stated to have been previously involved in another criminal case, FIR No. 1790/2005, registered under Section 364 of the IPC at Kotwali police station in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh.

–IANS

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