NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has arrested a 62-year-old man who had been absconding for more than 26 years in a murder case registered in 2000, an officer said on Sunday.Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Vishwanath Singh alias Munna from the Shiv Vihar area of northeast Delhi 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.The incident was initially treated as a road accident, and an FIR under the IPC for accidental death was registered at Gokalpuri police station.However, a subsequent investigation revealed that it was allegedly a premeditated murder. Police said Singh, who was the deceased’s neighbour, had allegedly struck Prakash on the head with a hammer before staging the scene to make it look like a hit-and-run accident.The officer said the alleged motive was Singh’s suspicion that Prakash was having an illicit relationship with his wife.After these findings emerged, the original FIR was cancelled and a fresh murder case was registered at Khajoori Khas police station in 2000.Singh was declared a proclaimed offender on December 5, 2001, and had been evading arrest ever since.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 spotted a man secretly meeting Singh’s brothers and confirmed his identity through discreet verification, police said.During his years on the run, Singh frequently changed his residences and worked in the wholesale mawa trade across Faridabad, Loni, Etawah and Delhi while concealing his identity.(With inputs from PTI)
