World · India Bureau
Kanpur police arrest convict after 40-year fugitive manhunt
Police in Uttar Pradesh have apprehended a 70-year-old man who had evaded capture for four decades by posing as a religious guru at an ashram. The suspect was identified through social media footage.
LSN India ·
Kanpur police arrested Ram Prakash, 70, on Thursday after tracking him to an ashram in Bareilly where he had been living under the alias 'Baba Pagal Das'. The arrest concludes a 40-year search for the convicted criminal who had absconded following his sentencing in Kanpur.
Investigators were able to locate Prakash after identifying him in a video circulating on social media. The footage led authorities to the ashram where he had established himself as a self-styled godman, apparently using his religious cover to evade detection across four decades.
Police have initiated further interrogation to establish the nature of his original conviction and gather details about his activities during his extended fugitive period. Officials said Prakash is currently in custody and will be produced before judicial authorities.
The case highlights the challenges law enforcement agencies face in tracking long-term fugitives, particularly those who attempt to conceal their identities through religious or spiritual personas. The successful apprehension underscores the growing role of digital surveillance and social media in criminal investigations across the state.