18 yrs later, past catches up: Police nab Sitapur robbery mastermind living secret life in Punjab
Sitapur police arrested bus robbery mastermind Jhabbu from Patiala, Punjab, where he had been living as a businessman with a family unaware of his past. He was 24 at the time of the crime and is now around 42.
18 years after a highway bus robbery in Sitapur, the alleged mastermind, Jhabbu alias Jaljala, has been arrested from Patiala, Punjab, where he had been living under a new identity. Officials said he had been running a shuttering business and was living as Vijay Kumar with a family that was unaware of his criminal past.
The robbery took place on November 8, 2007, near Bharauna village under Sandana police station in Sitapur district. After the crime, Jhabbu vanished with the stolen valuables, leaving behind five accomplices who were later arrested and served jail terms. One of the other key accused, Raju, remains untraceable.
Sandana police station in-charge Chandra Bhan Yadav said a court-issued warrant prompted a fresh verification of Jhabbu’s last known details. A local team was sent to his native Bhanpur village in Sitapur, where villagers informed police that he was possibly living in Punjab. A police team was then dispatched to Patiala, where he was arrested on Friday and brought back to Sitapur the next day.
Yadav said, “The accused, who was 24 years old at the time of the incident, is now 42 and had settled down with a new name. His family was unaware of his criminal background.” He added that a reward for his arrest, initially set at ₹2,500 in 2007, had been increased to ₹25,000 over the years.
With most police personnel from that period either retired or transferred, the case had faded from public memory. “None of the current staff at Sandana police station knew about the robbery. It was a routine court warrant that reminded us of the long-pending case,” a local officer said.
In the earlier investigation, five other accused — Jaljala’s brother Saahru, Ramu’s brother Khansiram, Murali, his son Uma Shankar, and Desraj — were arrested and sent to jail. However, the looted valuables were never recovered, as Jhabbu and Raju had absconded soon after the crime.
Police have resumed efforts to trace Raju, who has remained missing. Officials believe that his arrest could follow, given the latest breakthrough.
“The mastermind’s arrest has opened new leads in the case. We are hopeful that the remaining accused will be traced soon,” a police official said.
