New Delhi
Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Monday arrested two proclaimed offenders who had been absconding for the past 17 years in connection with a 2007 attempt to murder case, including one who had allegedly changed his identity and was living under a false name to evade arrest.
The accused have been identified as Iqbal Singh alias Palla, 46, and Bhupender Singh alias Lovely, 47. They were arrested separately from Bilaspur in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district and Delhi’s Mayur Vihar during a coordinated operation carried out by the Anti-Robbery and Snatching Cell (ARSC) of the Crime Branch.
Both accused were wanted in FIR No. 237/2007 registered under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code at the Patel Nagar Police Station.
According to Delhi Police, both men had jumped bail after their release and had been absconding since then. They were declared proclaimed offenders by the court in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
Police said Bhupender Singh had assumed a false identity in the name of Chander Pal, son of Babu Ram, and had been residing in Mayur Vihar to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies.
Officials also said Iqbal Singh has been previously involved in 15 criminal cases related to auto theft and attempt to murder, while Bhupender Singh has six previous criminal cases registered against him under the Arms Act, Gambling Act, as well as theft and attempt-to-murder charges in Delhi.
According to the police, the case originated from a family dispute. Bhupender Singh had married the sister of Amarjit Singh, who strongly opposed the marriage, resulting in long-standing hostility between the two families.
On April 11, 2007, the rivalry allegedly turned violent when Iqbal Singh, along with Bhupender Singh and another associate, Chattar Singh, attacked Amarjit Singh in the Patel Nagar area.