Palamu police arrest murder accused from Bengaluru after interstate manhunt
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK DALTONGANJ, Aug. 2: In a major breakthrough, Palamu Police arrested a murder accused from Bengaluru following an interstate…
SP Kapil Chaudhary addresses a press conference in Daltonganj after Palamu Police arrested murder accused Rahul Kumar alias Rahul Ram from Rajanukunte in Bengaluru following an interstate manhunt. The accused is seen standing behind the SP.
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
DALTONGANJ, Aug. 2: In a major breakthrough, Palamu Police arrested a murder accused from Bengaluru following an interstate manhunt, underscoring a growing trend of suspects fleeing Jharkhand after committing serious crimes.
Police said Rahul Kumar alias Rahul Ram (28), a resident of Kurwa village under Paton police station limits, was arrested from Rajanukunte in Bengaluru on July 29 and brought back to Jharkhand on transit remand. He was produced before the media on Friday evening before being remanded to judicial custody.
Second interstate arrest within a week
The Bengaluru arrest comes barely a week after Palamu Police tracked down another murder accused, Prashant Tiwary, from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. According to police, Tiwary had been living anonymously to evade arrest in the Vineet Tiwary murder case, but his activity on social media helped investigators trace his location.
Officials said the back-to-back interstate operations reflect the increasing tendency of accused persons to flee the state after committing heinous crimes, often with logistical support from family members who later claim ignorance about their whereabouts.
Three-day surveillance led to arrest
Addressing a press conference, Superintendent of Police Kapil Chaudhary and SDPO (Sadar) Rajesh Yadav said a police team spent two to three days conducting surveillance in Rajanukunte before arresting Rahul, who had been working among construction labourers.
“Our team kept Rahul under watch for several days before apprehending him. He was trying to earn a livelihood as a construction worker while hiding from the police,” SP Chaudhary said.
Rahul was flown from Bengaluru to Ranchi and later brought to Daltonganj by road. Police obtained a three-day transit remand from the competent court in Bengaluru before bringing him back to Jharkhand.
Murder linked to drug-fuelled altercation
Police said Rahul is the prime accused in the murder of 28-year-old Prabhat Kumar Mehta, whose body was recovered from an under-construction building at Pandeypura Karoriya under Paton police station on July 26.
Prabhat had gone missing on July 25, prompting his father, Thakur Dayal Mehta, to lodge a kidnapping complaint with Paton police the same day.
According to investigators, Rahul and Prabhat were known to each other and both were allegedly involved in drug abuse. While Prabhat allegedly peddled narcotics, Rahul was addicted to drugs.
On July 25, the two reportedly got into an altercation. During the fight, Rahul allegedly struck Prabhat on the head with a broken brick, killing him on the spot before fleeing the village.
Mobile phone, motorcycle seized
Police said Rahul escaped to Bengaluru soon after the murder in an attempt to evade arrest. During the investigation, officers recovered his mobile phone, which provided crucial evidence linking him to the crime. The motorcycle allegedly used during the incident has also been seized.
Interstate operations costly but crucial
Police sources said interstate operations to apprehend absconding accused involve significant expenditure. The Bengaluru operation alone reportedly cost around ₹65,000, including airfare and other travel expenses, while the earlier Jhansi operation also required substantial logistical support.
Senior police officials said despite the costs, such operations are essential to ensure that offenders cannot evade the law by fleeing to other states.
