Twenty-seven years after Bhopat Singh Chheda Singh Thakur escaped from custody following his arrest in a robbery case in Mumbai, the police were finally able to track him down. A special squad from the Mumbai police crime branch arrested Singh from his residence in Jalputpur village in Varanasi, UP on Friday. He is being brought to the city and will be produced in the court for custody in connection with a series of robberies he had committed in two years—between 1983 and 1985.

Ambadas Pote, deputy commissioner of police (crime) told HT on Friday that Singh was a solitary operator and was involved in eight or nine robberies between 1983 and 1985. He was arrested in some of the cases but would jump bail or parole before committing more crimes. He was last arrested by the NM Joshi Marg police station in early 1985.

While being taken to the police station following his remand by a magistrate’s court, Singh hurled chilli powder at the police party and ran away. He had been absconding since.

The police was recently tipped off about Singh’s whereabouts. After a series of inquiries, the police ascertained his identity. However, when the police rounded him up at his village, Singh disputed the claims, saying they had been mistaken. When he was confronted with his old photographs and identified by his “old pals”, Singh gave in.