Suspect evaded arrest for decades by posing as an incense-stick seller during SIR checks
Daniel George
BENGALURU
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls may have stirred political debate, but it unexpectedly enabled Chennai police to arrest a murder suspect who had been on the run for nearly 22 years.
The case dates back to May 24, 2004, when Mariyam Beevi, a resident of the Chennai suburbs, alerted the Ennore police that her relative Rajendran—who had taken the name Rafiq after converting to Islam—had confessed to killing his friend Tajuddin during a drunken quarrel. Officers later recovered Tajuddin’s body from Rafiq’s residence, his throat slit. A murder case was promptly registered, but Rafiq fled, successfully staying out of sight for more than two decades.
During a recent review of long-pending investigations, Avadi Police Commissioner K. Shankar instructed officials to prioritise the cold case. Two special teams led by Ennore Assistant Commissioner Veerakumar began combing through online voter databases and travelling incognito as SIR data collectors to avoid raising suspicion while verifying leads in the field.
Their investigation took them first to Aakkanur village in Cuddalore district, Rafiq’s hometown. There, officers learned that after marrying Rasool Beevi and converting to Islam, he had drifted across several districts—Ariyalur, Jayankondam, Tiruchi, and Perambalur—taking up odd jobs and living under the radar. To avoid detection, he sold incense sticks at bus stands and shunned mobile phones.
Fresh intelligence pointed to his frequent presence at public transport hubs. Surveillance teams began monitoring bus stands across the region, eventually receiving a tip that shifted their search to Bengaluru. For nearly a week, officers discreetly observed incense-stick vendors in and around Madiwala Market.
Their patience paid off when they identified Rafiq. Though he initially gave a fake name, an Aadhaar card retrieved from his bag confirmed his true identity. Confronted with the evidence, he admitted to committing the 2004 murder.
Rafiq has since been arrested and remanded in judicial custody, bringing a long-elusive fugitive back within the reach of law after 22 years on the run.