A lorry driver, who went absconding for 18 long years after burning the vehicle owner alive, was arrested by a police team from Tiruvallur district. The man, now 60 years of age, who allegedly committed the murder in 2000 and went absconding since then from Gummidipoondi, was arrested from his village in Rajasthan where he has been working in a transport company.

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Chennai:

According to police, lorry driver Abdul Saleem (then 42 years) and cleaner Prem Chand (then 25) murdered lorry owner Dewar Singh (44), after he refused lend Saleem Rs 5,000 for his daughter’s marriage. Saleem and Prem Chand allegedly attacked Dewar Singh near Gummidipoondi inside the driver’s cabin, before pushing him down on to the side of the road. Then, they set him on fire alive using wood and dry leaves.

After murdering him, Saleem and Prem Chand escaped with Rs 42,000 that Singh had. They also took the lorry away.

After the incident came to light when a few villagers tipped off about the charred body that was found on the road side, Gummidipoondi SIPCOT police registered a case and arrested Prem Chand. But Saleem remained elusive for nearly 18 years.

Recently, when the pending case came to the notice of Tiruvallur district superintendent of police R Ponni during a review meeting, she directed the inspector to follow it up.

A police team led by inspector Jayakumar traced the suspect Mangubai alias Abdul Saleem in Rajasthan. After hiding for some time in Pakistan border to escape from the police radar, he had returned to his native village and had been working in a transport company. Police team brought him to Gummidipoondi and he was remanded in judicial custody.