A rape convict who had been declared dead in 2021 was found alive in Jalandhar and arrested after police discovered he had been living under a fake identity for nearly four years.
The convict had been released on parole on October 8, 2021, but never returned to jail. Shortly afterward, his family submitted a death certificate to the jail administration, claiming he had died. The jail authorities accepted the document and marked him dead in official records.
On Thursday, a police team from Division No. 1, Jalandhar, spotted a man behaving suspiciously near Bhagat Singh Colony. When the officers approached, he tried to run. He identified himself as Sunil, but his nervous behaviour raised doubts.
Police took him to the station and checked old jail records. His appearance, height and physical features matched those of the missing convict. Since he continued to deny his identity, the police called the fingerprint team.
The fingerprint report confirmed that the man calling himself Sunil was the same convict who had been declared dead.
Police later found that he had been living in the Suchi Pind area of Jalandhar with his wife and had even obtained an Aadhaar card in the name of Sunil.
A fresh case has now been registered at Police Station Division No. 1, and the police will seek his remand to investigate who helped him prepare the fake death certificate and forged documents.