Fugitive nabbed after 19 years in 1992 criminal intimidation case

Mumbai police arrested Prakash Anant Surve, 57, after 19 years on the run for endangering life and intimidation, originally charged in 1992.

Mumbai: The Antop Hill police have apprehended a 57-year-old man, Prakash Anant Surve, who had been absconding for 19 years following a case in which he was booked for allegedly endangering life and threatening harm. Surve, a resident of Sion Koliwada before moving to Shivdarshan Society in Umarkhadi, Dongri, was arrested on Saturday under a standing arrest warrant issued by a Kurla magistrate’s court.

Fugitive nabbed after 19 years in 1992 criminal intimidation case

The case, dating back to 1992, charged Surve under sections 336 (acts endangering personal safety or life), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), and 114 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code. Surve was initially arrested after allegedly assaulting a person and issuing serious threats, but he stopped attending court hearings after 2005, leading to his status as an absconding accused.

During their investigation, police traced old case documents and tracked down addresses of Surve’s friends and relatives, piecing together clues on his whereabouts. A police team learnt that Surve had once lived in a transit camp in Sion Koliwada, which was later demolished, prompting his move to Umarkhadi, Dongri.

Sub-inspector Arafat Siddique led efforts to locate Surve, learning from local sources that he worked on a fishing boat and was likely to visit family during Diwali. Police laid a trap in the area and, after monitoring for some time, detained Surve when he arrived. His identity was confirmed during questioning, and he was subsequently taken into custody.