Fugitive's 26-Year Run Ends with Arrest at Airport

A fugitive wanted for a 1999 murder in Saudi Arabia was apprehended this week after being on the lam for over 26 years, according to officials. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) captured Mohammad Dilshad at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport as he returned from Madinah on August 11, traveling under a new identity.

Dilshad, who worked as a mechanic and security guard in Riyadh, allegedly committed the crime at his workplace and subsequently fled to India. Officials disclosed that he used fraudulent means to secure a new identity and passport, enabling him to continue moving freely, even visiting several Gulf countries over the years.

The CBI, acting on a request from Saudi authorities, initiated its probe in April 2022 and eventually traced Dilshad to his village in Uttar Pradesh. Despite earlier challenges, the agency issued a fresh lookout circular after discovering his new passport details and detained him upon his recent arrival in India.

(With inputs from agencies.)