Police in Moradabad have arrested a history-sheeter who had been absconding for 21 years. The accused, Naresh Valmiki, was living in Sambhal under the fake name Sultan using forged documents. He was caught during a verification drive with the help of a tip-off. Several fake IDs were recovered. Police say he was involved in serious crimes.
Police in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad have arrested a history-sheeter who had been on the run for 21 years. The accused, identified as Naresh Valmiki, was caught during a verification drive in the Pakbada police station area. His arrest is being seen as a major success for the police, as they had been trying to trace him for over two decades.
Living under fake identity in Sambhal
According to police, the 56-year-old had changed his identity and was living in Sambhal under the name Sultan, posing as the son of Jalaluddin. He had built a new life there and had blended in with local residents. To avoid arrest, he had created several fake documents in his new name, reported TV9 Hindi. These documents helped him stay hidden and continue living without raising suspicion.
Verification drive leads to breakthrough
The arrest happened during an ongoing verification campaign being carried out by the Pakbada police using the Yash app. The drive aims to identify suspicious persons in the area.
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During the campaign, police received a tip-off from an informer about a man whose activities appeared suspicious. Acting on this information, a police team set up a trap on Dungarpur Road and managed to catch him, the TV9 Hindi report added.
At first, the accused introduced himself as Sultan. However, when questioned strictly, he admitted his real identity as Naresh Valmiki.
Fake documents recovered
During a search, police recovered several fake documents from the accused. These included two Aadhaar cards, three voter ID cards, a PAN card, an e-Shram card, a Prathama Bank smart card and a letterhead.
All these documents were made in the name of Sultan. Police also seized a mobile phone from him, which contained important information and digital records.
Accused admits hiding identity for years
During questioning, the accused admitted that he had been hiding his identity for many years. He told police that he had changed his name to avoid arrest in old criminal cases.
Police said he is involved in serious offences such as robbery, fraud and other charges. He had left his home years ago and started a new life under a false identity to escape the law.
Officials also suspect that he may have continued criminal activities while living under the fake name.
Police call it a major success
Moradabad police have described the arrest as a major achievement. They said the accused had managed to stay hidden for a long time by changing his identity and using forged documents.
The use of the Yash app and the verification drive played a key role in identifying and catching him.
The accused has now been sent to jail, and further investigation is underway. Police are also looking into his past activities and checking if others were involved in helping him create fake documents.
