A 32-year-long manhunt finally came to an end on Friday night when police arrested a fugitive accused in a 1994 murder case from a hidden underground chamber allegedly built inside his own house in Odisha’s Jajpur district.
The accused, identified as 58-year-old Rabindra Mallick from Nuahat village under Kuakhia police limits, had allegedly been on the run since October 1994.
Police said he was accused of killing his 27-year-old cousin, Paramananda Mallick, with an axe on October 21, 1994.
After the incident, he allegedly disappeared and was later declared an absconder by a local court.
How did the accused allegedly avoid arrest for over three decades?
According to police, Rabindra Mallick managed to stay out of reach for 32 years by constantly changing locations and identities.
Investigators said he obtained Aadhaar and voter ID cards under a fake identity and posed as a resident of Adamapur village.
During those years, he reportedly worked as a mason in places including Hyderabad and Kerala while remaining in touch with his family members.
Police said his movement across states made it difficult to trace him for years.
Where was the fugitive finally found?
Police said the accused was finally arrested from a secret underground chamber built inside his house.
According to Kuakhia police station IIC Susanta Kumar Sethi, officers acted on a tip-off that Mallick had returned to the village to attend a family function.
During the raid, police allegedly discovered him hiding inside the underground bunker.
“He had built the secret chamber to evade arrest,” the officer said.
Why had the accused returned to the village?
Police said the accused had come back to attend a family function when officers received information about his presence in the village.
That tip-off eventually led police to the house and the alleged underground hideout where he was found.
What happened after the arrest?
Police said Rabindra Mallick was produced before a local court on Saturday.
His bail plea was rejected and he was remanded to judicial custody.
Police also said he had married a woman named Manjulata in 1998 while he was still absconding.
(With TOI inputs)
