New Delhi: The Delhi Police has arrested a 62-year-old man who had been absconding for over 26 years in a murder case registered in 2000, an officer said on Sunday.
Following a tip-off, police arrested Vishwanath Singh alias Munna in northeast Delhi's Shiv Vihar area on October 30, the officer said.
"The case dates back to October 20, 1998, when Jai Prakash, 24, was found grievously injured and unconscious in the Gokalpuri area. He later died during treatment without regaining consciousness," a senior police officer said.
Initially, the incident was treated as a road accident, and an FIR was registered under the IPC for accidental death at Gokalpuri police station.
However, subsequent investigation revealed that it was allegedly a planned murder. The accused, who was the deceased's neighbour, had allegedly hit him on the head with a hammer and staged the scene to make it appear like a hit-and-run accident, police said. The murder was motivated by the accused's suspicion that Prakash was having an illicit relationship with his wife, the officer said.
Following the revelations, the original FIR was cancelled, and a fresh case of murder was registered at Khajoori Khas police station in 2000. Singh was declared a proclaimed offender on December 5, 2001, and had been evading arrest since then.
A Crime Branch team traced his native village in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district and subsequently developed leads about his family members living in Delhi. During surveillance, the team noticed a man secretly meeting the accused's brothers and established his identity through discreet verification, police said.
During his years on the run, Singh frequently changed residences and worked in the wholesale mawa trade in Faridabad, Loni, Etawah and Delhi while concealing his identity.