‘Papla Mahakal’ gangster held after 2-year chase

Investigators said he was evading arrest by working as a security officer at a private company in Tappukhera, attempting to conceal his identity.

A 31-year-old member of the Papla Mahakal gang, wanted in two kidnapping cases in Delhi, was arrested from Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi on Monday. Police said the accused, Manainder Singh, had been on the run for two years after allegedly abducting a businessman outside IGI Airport. He is named in over 50 cases, including robbery, extortion, and kidnapping.

Singh, a resident of Rewari, had been declared a proclaimed offender in 2023 and again in 2024. (Archive)

Singh, a resident of Rewari, had been declared a proclaimed offender in 2023 and again in 2024. Investigators said he was evading arrest by working as a security officer at a private company in Tappukhera, attempting to conceal his identity.

“In 2023, Singh lured a man from Jaipur with the promise of high returns and asked him to invest in a fake cryptocurrency scheme. He asked the victim to come to Delhi with ₹30 lakh in cash or cheque. When the man arrived at IGI Airport, Singh and his associates abducted him, robbed him of ₹2 lakh, and stole his belongings,” said a senior police officer.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Harsh Indora said Singh was arrested in the case but later granted interim bail. He absconded soon after, failing to join the investigation.

In the same year, Singh and an associate also kidnapped a man in Rajasthan and extorted money from him.

Police said Singh previously worked at an automobile company before shifting to another firm. He kept changing his appearance to stay off the radar.

On Monday, investigators traced him to a private company in Bhiwadi, searched the premises, and arrested him.