NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police's crime branch nabbed a Maoist leader, who was absconding for 26 years, from Prahladpur area.
The accused, Kisun Pandit, was wanted for the murder of a police officer and attack on three policemen in Bihar.
To dodge the police, Pandit with the help of his family members, had spread misinformation about his death.
Joint commissioner of police (crime) Dheeraj Kumar said that Pandit is a leader of IPF Maale -- a Maoist outfit active in 1990s in Bihar.
He was arrested by the team led by ACP Abhinendra Jain formed under the overall supervision of DCP Crime Rohit Meena from Prahladpur in southeast Delhi.
Police said the accused told them that in 1990, the rich landlords in Bihar used to oppress the poor, to fight against them the IPF Maale group was formed by one Vinoba Mishra.
One Devender Singh was the district chief of the outfit in Patna and Pandit joined the group as second-in-command of Patna district.
"In 1996, when Singh was murdered by unknown assailants and police were taking away his body for legal proceedings, Pandit along with his associates attacked them leading to the murder of an officer. They took away Devender's body and also looted one rifle and 40 rounds from the police party," Joint CP said.
Police said after leaving Bihar, Pandit changed his identity to Sulender Pandit and started living in Faridabad.
"Several years ago, there was an accident of a train which was going from Delhi to Patna, resulting in multiple casualties. Pandit took advantage of the accident and instructed his family members in Bihar to convey to the villagers that he also died in the mishap," the officer said.
His family members also symbolically performed his last rites in the village. After this news, police stopped looking for him. Being a member of the Maoist group, he is an expert in ambushing and disguising the law enforcement agencies with fake names, and identities.
