A 30-year-old murder accused, Arjun Chauhan, who had been absconding for over seven years, has been arrested by the Southern Range of the Delhi Police Crime Branch, they said on Thursday.
The police said Chauhan, a resident of Indira Kalyan Vihar in Okhla Phase-I, who was wanted in a 2018 murder case, had been declared a Proclaimed Offender by a court. The case dates back to October 13, 2018, when the police received information from ESI Hospital about a man brought dead, said Aditya Gautam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime).
“The victim, Saeed Anwar, had sustained multiple stab wounds. An FIR under Section 302 IPC was registered at the Okhla Industrial Area police station,” he added.
During a brief investigation, the police team got their hands on three accused, while Chauhan managed to evade arrest. The officer further said that despite sustained efforts, local police failed to trace him, and on February 11, 2019, he was declared a proclaimed offender.
Determined to track him down, the Crime Branch Unit formed a special team, and after months of groundwork, technical surveillance, and deployment of informers, the breakthrough came on Wednesday, when credible information was received that Chauhan was hiding in Haryana’s Ballabgarh.
With this lead, the team laid a trap and arrested him from Sector-57, Faridabad, the officer mentioned.
Investigations revealed that Chauhan had changed his identity and worked as a driver in the area to dodge arrest, living discreetly for years.
“His arrest marks a significant breakthrough in a long-pending murder case,” said Officer Gautam, adding that legal proceedings against him are now underway.