Assam: 16-Year Fugitive Apprehended for Attempted Murder of Wife

GUWAHATI: In a significant development, a man who had been on the run for 16 years after allegedly attacking his wife with a knife has been captured in a forested area of southern Assam.

The accused identified as Noor Mohammad was caught by a team from the Delhi police crime branch in Assam. The officers posed as NGO volunteers to avoid arousing suspicion and managed to arrest him successfully.

According to a senior Delhi police officer, the incident took place on the night of July 17-18, 2008.

Mohammad, who was no longer living with his wife, went to her home in Najafgarh, Delhi, pretending that he wanted to resolved their marital issues.

During a heated argument, he reportedly became violent and attacked his wife with a sharp “dao”, causing serious injuries to her face and head.

Thinking he had fatally injured her, he ran away, leaving her with critical wounds.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amit Goel revealed that Noor Mohammad had been on the run since the attack and was wanted by the Najafgarh police for attempted murder.

The police received a tip that Noor Mohammad was hiding in Assam, near the Bangladesh border in Mankachar, South Salmara. A police team was quickly assembled and sent to the area.

As the area was remote and wooded, there was a high risk that their operation could be discovered. To reduce this risk, the team disguised themselves as NGO workers helping local woodcutters.

They spent three days carefully surveying the area. Their undercover work was successful, resulting in the identification and arrest of Noor Mohammad.

During interrogation, Mohammad explained that he had moved to Delhi in 1997 to find work and started working with a scrap dealer in the Bhogal area.

He married Munzia in 2000, but their relationship soured, eventually leading to their separation.

After the attack, Noor Mohammad escaped from Delhi and went to Assam, far from his hometown, to avoid being caught. His arrest concludes a long search, and he will now be prosecuted for attempted murder.

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