Gangster on the run for 9 years arrested

A 46-year-old gangster, who had been on the run for nine years and was carrying a reward of Rs one lakh on information leading to his arrest, was held from Hapur district in Uttar Pradesh, the police said today.

The accused, Mukesh Gujjar, had been declared a proclaimed offender in five cases of murder and attempt to murder, they added.

On June 16, the Delhi Police Crime Branch received information about Gujjar's presence in Hapur.

A team, with its members posing as local farmers, nabbed him from the Preet Vihar area of Hapur on June 17, said G Ramgopal Naik, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime).

Police learnt that he had been planning to eliminate the witnesses in a case of murder of Deepak alias Kanaita, in which his son Himanshu and his sister's son Vikas were named as accused.

In 2002, Gujjar, along with his associates, looted Rs 25 lakh and a Santro car from Mohan Lal and shot him dead in Anand Parbat. In 2009, he, along with his associates, killed Budh Bachhan who refused to give him protection money.

To evade arrest, he had been moving from one city to another in western UP under pseudo names, said the officer.