Ludhiana: 26-year-long hunt for murder convict who jumped parole ends with arrest

The Ludhiana police’s 26-year-long investigation into the case culminated in the arrest a man who jumped parole in 1996; he had been serving life sentence for murdering his wife in 1990

Police on Monday arrested a man who had been on the run for 26 years after evading his four-week parole back in 1996.

The Ludhiana police arrested a murder convict who jumped parole in 1996 after a 26-year-long investigation. (iStockphoto)

The accused, identified as Surjit Singh, 54, of New Shakti Nagar of Basti Jodhewal, had been living in Amritsar but was in the city on business. The accused was released in 1996 of parole for four weeks, but he did not report to the jail again.

Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Kulbir Raj, investigating officer, said the police arrested the accused from Phullanwal village following a tip-off. The accused told police that he wanted to avoid his arrest after availing parole and had lived in different cities before settling in Amritsar.

The ASI said that the accused had been serving life sentence after being convicted by the court in 1990 for murdering his wife merely one-and-a-half months into their marriage.

He added that the accused had availed parole for four weeks on May 28, 1996, but never reported back to the jail. The police had been trying to trace him for the past 26 years.

A case under sections 8(2) and 9 of the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners Act has been registered against the accused at the Sadar police station.