Delhi Police arrests fugitive kidnapper-turned-businessman from Mumbai after 25 years on the run

New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) A man who had once masterminded a kidnapping and extortion case in the national capital and then vanished without a trace, resurfacing years later in Mumbai as a businessman with a new identity, was finally nabbed after 25 years on the run, police said on Friday.

The accused, Suneet Agarwal (46), had been staying in Mumbai under different names and was declared a proclaimed offender in 2004 in connection with a kidnapping for ransom case registered at Kotwali police station in 2000, they said.

"Agarwal was running his own business of imitation jewellery in Mumbai. Crime has no expiry date, and the law never forgets the criminals," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

The officer said that a team from the Delhi Police's Crime Branch apprehended him from Mumbai's Malad area on July 4.

Police said that Suneet had completely erased his past after securing bail in the 2000 case. He moved out of Delhi, cut ties with his old network and began a new life in Mumbai by gradually building a fresh identity.

He also got married in 2004 and started his own business in the imitation jewellery trade after working in the same sector for years, all while evading the law by constantly shifting addresses and avoiding any digital or social footprint.

"He changed locations frequently, almost every six months, within Maharashtra, used different mobile numbers and even avoided neighbours and relatives," the DCP said and added that he even kept minimal contact with his family.

Police said the breakthrough came recently when the team received a tip-off about the presence of a person matching Agarwal's description in Mumbai. A team was dispatched, and the accused was located and apprehended from his business premises in Malad.

Sharing details about his past case, the officer said that he, along with his brothers Puneet and Vinit, had allegedly kidnapped one Shreenath Yadav from Raj Nagar in Ghaziabad. Yadav worked under Ram Gopal, an associate of the accused, and was abducted to extort money.

Eventually, their plan didn't fall through, but a case was registered at Kotwali police station in January 2000.

"The accused was arrested shortly after the incident and was granted bail. However, he absconded during trial proceedings and never appeared in court," said the DCP.

His brothers also went underground. All three were declared proclaimed offenders by the court on October 15, 2004.

After his arrest on July 4, Suneet was brought to Delhi and produced before a court. He is now in judicial custody.

The Kotwali police station has been informed of his arrest, and further proceedings in the case are underway.

Police said that efforts are being made to trace his brothers, Puneet and Vinit, who remain at large. PTI BM BM AMJ AMJ