Delhi’s law enforcers have etched their name in the annals of persistent policing by cracking open a 26-year-old double crime of murder and dacoity in Mukherjee Nagar. The mastermind, Naresh Mukhiya aka Nageshwar, long-listed as a fugitive, was dramatically captured from a quiet Bihar hamlet, ending a saga that many had consigned to history.
Rewind to January 2000: Naresh, employed in a local residence, got wind of widow Asha Chhabra’s windfall from a property sale—cash stashed worth lakhs. Rallying cronies, they sneaked into her unlocked flat, targeting the wardrobe. Asha’s sudden appearance and screams triggered a savage response; they garroted her with a telephone cord, looting 8 lakhs and jewelry before vanishing into the night.
The trail went cold as Naresh played a game of geographic hopscotch: Siliguri, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and eventually Samastipur in Bihar. There, under an alias, he masqueraded as a simple shopkeeper and daily wager, drowning guilt in liquor while dodging detection.
Enter Inspector Pukhraj Singh’s crack team, spurred by intel from ASI Pradeep and HC Narendra. Leveraging surveillance tech and grassroots networks, they zeroed in on his hideout. A swift raid on May 2 by SI Niranjan, ASI Pawan, HCs Sachin, Mukesh, Vikrant, and Constable Manoj culminated in Naresh’s arrest from Mamurpur village.
This feat underscores the power of renewed vigor in cold case revivals. With the kingpin in custody, Delhi Police is now piecing together the full network, offering closure to a grieving family and a stark reminder that fugitives can’t run forever.
