Cops posing as caterers, builders solve 31-year-old murder case

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New Delhi, July 27

The Delhi Police arrested a proclaimed offender in a 31-year-old murder case applying many tricks and impersonating caterers and builders to reach the accused, police officials said on Saturday.

In 1993, one Shambhu Dayal was murdered by one Prem Narain, then 51, along with two others, for not getting his daughter married in their village Bhidora in Uttar Pradesh. Prem Narain is a resident of Banda in UP, but shifted to Kanpur after the murder, where he started working as a mason.

In 1994, Prem Narain, along with two others, was declared proclaimed offender by the court. Over the years, efforts to locate and apprehend these offenders continued, but they remained elusive, the police said.

Recently, under the directive to trace wanted criminals and parole jumpers in heinous cases, Sub-Inspector (SI) Ritesh Kumar was tasked with gathering information on such offenders. SI Kumar came across PO Prem Narain who had been absconding since 1994.

“The SI accessed information about the accused Prem Narain. He found that the marriage of Narain’s nephew was scheduled for July 11 and there was a possibility that the accused would attend it,” said DCP Crime Amit Goel.

To apprehend Prem Narain, SI Kumar joined the catering team for the marriage function and launched a strong manual surveillance.

“Although the accused did not appear in the marriage, his wife and children attended the event. By closely monitoring the family, vital inputs were gathered that Prem Narain was living in Kanpur and working as a mason,” an officer said.

A police team was constituted and dispatched to Kanpur.

“Despite narrowing down the area, the team initially couldn’t trace the whereabouts of Prem Narain.” the DCP said. SI Ritesh Kumar, with the help of local builders, contacted masons in the area.

Prem Narain sent his son Nitin, instead of coming forward himself. Through further tricks involving a local builder, Prem Narain was called to a meeting for a work-related negotiation. The team laid a 48-hour trap near the builder’s office, and Prem Narain was finally apprehended. “During interrogation, Prem Narain confessed to his role in the murder of Shambhu Dayal. He revealed that after the murder he, along with his father and uncle, fled their village and settled in Kanpur. He changed his voter ID and ration card to evade arrest, DCP Goel said.

How it happened?

A Sub-Inspector joined the catering team for the marriage function that the accused was expected to attend which only his family attended, but he did not. The family was trailed for some time to find his whereabouts. He was finally traced in Kanpur where he worked as a mason. Masons and builders in Kanpur were taken into confidence to find him. He was finally hunted down and called for a work-related meeting by laying a trap by the policemen.