Mangaluru, Karnataka, July 1 (PTI): A murder suspect who had vanished for almost three years after the Supreme Court revoked his bail has finally been apprehended near Mangaluru, police confirmed on Tuesday.
Officials said the man, identified as Mohammad Mustafa, also known as Musta, was taken into custody on June 30. He was presented before the magistrate the next day and remanded to judicial custody.
Mustafa had originally been granted bail by the Karnataka High Court in 2020 in connection with a brazen daylight homicide near the Mulki Vijay Sannidhi Highway. The victim, Abdul Latif, was allegedly murdered by a gang of ten men on June 5, 2020.
However, the apex court overturned his bail on April 22, 2022. Soon after, he is believed to have escaped to Oman by using counterfeit travel documents. Authorities say he later made an unlawful return to India via Nepal in April 2024.
After months of intelligence gathering, a dedicated police team tracked Mustafa to Pakshikere, his hometown in Mulki taluk, where he was captured.
In addition to the ongoing murder trial, new charges have been filed against him for using fake identification, unlawful international travel, and evading justice.
Law enforcement sources further revealed that Mustafa is entangled in nine separate criminal cases spread across Mangaluru, Chikkamagaluru, and Udupi districts.
The investigation is continuing, and authorities are probing his international links and use of forged documents.