Man declared absconder by court held after 2 years

Kandaghat police arrested 60-year-old Sharafat Khan, a resident of Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, from his native village on Friday evening — nearly two years after he was declared an absconder in a high-profile criminal case.

Khan had been booked on October 26, 2021, in connection with a case involving murder and criminal conspiracy. He faced charges under Sections 302 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 27(2) of the Arms Act. Despite multiple efforts to apprehend him, he evaded arrest, leading a Solan court to officially declare him an absconder on June 23, 2023.

During the investigation, it emerged that Khan had sold a country-made pistol and three live rounds to one of the accused already arrested in the murder case. In an attempt to avoid arrest, Khan repeatedly changed his location over the past two years, eluding law enforcement agencies.

The police also secured arrest warrants against him from the District and Sessions Court in Solan. After his arrest, Kandaghat police produced Khan in a local court on Saturday to obtain his remand. “Further investigation into his role in the case is currently underway,” said Solan SP Gaurav Singh.

Khan has a known criminal background. He had earlier been arrested by the Shamli police in Uttar Pradesh for violating provisions of the Arms Act — adding to his record as a repeat offender.