A man wanted for the murder of a fellow worker in Khopoli was arrested at the India-Nepal border on September 29 after evading police for nearly three weeks. The accused, Akhtar Habib Baitha (27), a resident of Pirokhar village, Madhubani district, Bihar, had been absconding since September 11, the day the murder occurred.
Murder Linked to Money Dispute
Police said Baitha allegedly attacked Paras Harihar Singh (50) of Sitamarhi, Bihar, by hitting him on the head with a stone inside a rented room and shed in Devanhave, Khalapur taluka, Raigad. Singh later succumbed to his injuries. Investigations revealed the attack stemmed from a financial dispute, as Singh had lent Rs 6,000 to Baitha, who was asked to return it.
Accused Flees Across Multiple Districts
After the murder, Baitha fled from Raigad to Thane, then to Dahanu in Palghar district, and switched off his phone. Police teams searched Surat, Ahmedabad, Madhubani, and Sitamarhi, but he remained untraceable.
Arrest Coordinated with Nepal Police
Acting on intelligence, authorities learned that Baitha was hiding in Mahottari, Nepal. A special police team, in coordination with local Nepalese police, tracked his movements and detained him at the India-Nepal border.
Investigation Supervised by Senior Officers
Superintendent of Police Anchal Dalal praised the team, saying, “Tracking and arresting an accused across state borders and near an international boundary was a major challenge.”
Baitha was arrested at 2:45 pm on September 29 and produced before court, which remanded him to police custody until October 4. The investigation is supervised by Additional SP Abhijit Shivthare, SDPO Vishal Nehul, and PI Sachin Hire.
