A man who had been evading arrest for four years in connection with a 2014 murder case in Mangaluru has finally been apprehended. Shahnawaz, also known as Shanu, was arrested by a police team led by Surathkal inspector Pramod Kumar from Karad, Bhopal, on August 4.
Following his arrest, Shanu was produced before the II JMFC court in Bhopal, where a transit warrant was obtained. He was subsequently brought back to Mangaluru on Wednesday, police officials confirmed.
Shanu and his associate Bahadur Singh had been absconding for four years. The murder took place on February 8, 2014, between 4 pm and 8 pm at Kulai, Hosabettu, where Sumathi Prabhu was brutally killed at her home. The attackers used a knife and also looted 192 grams of gold ornaments (about 24 sovereigns), worth an estimated ₹3.8 lakh, from her person.
The incident came to light when the victim’s son, Gurudas Prabhu, filed a complaint at the Surathkal police station. Following the investigation, three suspects—Shivram, Bahadur Singh alias Bahadur/Buyya (from Rajasthan), and Shahnawaz alias Shanu (from Uttar Pradesh)—were identified and chargesheeted on July 17.
However, all three secured bail and subsequently failed to appear in court, leading to arrest warrants being issued. Earlier this year, Shivram was arrested in Rajasthan on March 3. The search for Bahadur Singh continues.