New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) In a major breakthrough, the Central Range of the Delhi Crime Branch has arrested an absconding accused in a nearly 40-year-old murder case, bringing closure to a case that had remained unsolved since 1986.

The accused, identified as Chandra Shekhar Prasad, had been on the run for nearly four decades after allegedly murdering his wife in East Delhi’s Shakarpur area.

According to the official press release, the operation marks “Justice after 40 years,” with police highlighting that the “40-year-old cold murder case” has finally been worked out through sustained efforts and “exceptional investigation skills shown by the team.” The case dates back to FIR No. 375/1986 registered under Sections 302/34 IPC at Shakarpur Police Station.

Police said that on October 19, 1986, the accused allegedly murdered his wife by “crushing her head with bricks,” driven by suspicion of an extramarital affair. During the incident, the accused and his accomplices also held a domestic help at gunpoint. Following the crime, Prasad and his associates fled and remained absconding, with the accused declared a proclaimed offender in 1987. No breakthrough was achieved for decades.

Investigators faced significant challenges due to the age of the case. “The case remained unsolved for over 40 years, with no clue about the culprits,” the release stated, adding that the absence of digital records, photographs, or modern identification tools made tracing the accused extremely difficult.

A dedicated team led by Inspector Sunil Kumar Kalkhande was formed under the supervision of ACP Satendra Mohan. During the investigation, police tracked the accused’s family links in Delhi and Bihar and placed “suspicious mobile numbers discreetly obtained and placed them under surveillance.” Field verification in Nalanda, Bihar, confirmed that the accused was alive and occasionally visited during family events.

Based on technical inputs and human Intelligence, police traced his movement to North-West Delhi. A trap was laid on April 22, 2026, leading to his arrest from a factory storeroom in Nangli Poona, Alipur, where he was hiding under a false identity.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime, admitting that he murdered his wife following repeated domestic disputes and suspicion.

Police said the accused had managed to evade arrest for decades by frequently relocating across Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, working as a rickshaw puller and even taking shelter in an ashram.

“Our teams are committed to apprehending criminals and securing justice for victims, no matter how much time it takes,” the Crime Branch said, underscoring its resolve to pursue even long-pending cases.

–IANS

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