Arrest of a Multi-State Fugitive
A man wanted in two murder cases—the killing of his elder brother in Assam and a watchman in Panchkula—has been arrested from Bengaluru. The accused, Tepong Rabha alias Rakesh Rabha, a resident of Kokrajhar district in Assam, was produced before a Panchkula court, which remanded him to two days of police custody for the recovery of the alleged murder weapon and the victim's mobile phone.
Details of the Panchkula Murder
According to Sector 10 police officials, the blood-stained body of Dan Bahadur, a Nepali national working as a watchman at an under-construction house in Sector 11, was found on the building's roof on the morning of May 28. Police and a forensic team launched an investigation and found that a labourer, Rakesh, had bludgeoned the watchman to death with an iron rod and a hammer. The accused fled after committing the crime.
Link to Assam Murder
Police later discovered that Rabha had allegedly murdered his elder brother in Assam about three months earlier and was already wanted in that case. After the Assam murder, the accused moved through Srinagar, Haryana, Delhi, Kerala, and Karnataka. He allegedly stole a mobile phone every four to five days, inserted a new SIM card, and later sold the handset to avoid being tracked.
Evasion Tactics and Arrest
Police said Rabha worked as a waiter in hotels and roadside eateries while using fake names and addresses and frequently changing his hideouts. After continuous technical surveillance, a police team traced him to Bengaluru on June 30. Following searches at several locations, the team arrested him from a hotel and brought him to Panchkula after obtaining transit remand from a local court.
Next Steps in Investigation
During the police remand, authorities plan to recover the victim's mobile phone from Delhi and the iron rod allegedly used in the Panchkula murder. The accused remains in custody as investigations continue.
