Palghar murder accused on run for 24 years arrested from Uttar Pradesh

NEW DELHI: Police have arrested a man absconding for the last 24 years after being accused in a case of murder in Maharashtra's Palghar district, officials said on Sunday.The authorities captured the 50-year-old suspect, Mamu alias Chhote alias Babuon Omprakash Shrisahuni Diwakar, in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh on April 27, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madan Ballal.On January 14, 2001, an individual named Moharram Ali Mohammad Ibrahim Ali, aged 46, suffered a fatal stomach wound from a sharp weapon in Virar area.The Virar police filed charges against Harun Ali Mustaqin Ali Syed and Mamu under Indian Penal Code section 302 for murder, as stated by Ballal.The incident stemmed from a disagreement over unpaid autorickshaw fares. The victim frequently used the accused persons' autorickshaws from a nearby hardware shop but allegedly failed to pay for the services.The dispute intensified, resulting in the stabbing incident, according to Ballal.Although Syed was arrested initially, Mamu escaped and remained hidden for 24 years."The accused disappeared and the case went cold for over two decades. Tracking someone after 24 years is no easy task, but we never gave up," Ballal said, adding the police started reinvestigating the case earlier this year."We began identifying autorickshaw drivers from that time and cross-checking with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) records.

We then conducted a technical analysis of phone numbers obtained through the accused's son and nephew. That's how we zeroed-in on his location to Paharpur, Kanpur," he said.A dedicated police team travelled to UP and, after conducting surveillance for several days, arrested the accused near a petrol pump on Hamidpur Road with assistance from Kanpur police."It was a textbook case of crime detection and inter-state coordination," Ballal said.