Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on Sunday arrested arms dealer Prince Kailash Vishwakarma who had escaped from police custody in Thane, Maharashtra.
Vishwakarma was arrested from Lucknow's Indiranagar.
Vishwakarma, a resident of Takrohi in Indiranagar, was initially arrested on Nov 5 by the Chitalsar Manpada police in Thane. He was found in possession of two illegal pistols. Following his arrest, a case was registered under the Arms Act and sections of the Maharashtra Police Act, the STF said.
He was placed under police custody for further investigation. However, on the night of Nov 5-6, during his time in police custody, Vishwakarma managed to escape from a restroom at the police station, the STF added. A case for his escape was registered at the Chitalsar Manpada police station on Nov 6.
"With Thane police seeking assistance from UP Police, the STF conducted a detailed search, leading to Vishwakarma's arrest in the Subzi Mandi area of Takrohi," said STF additional superintendent of police Vishal Vikram Singh.
"During interrogation, Vishwakarma admitted to being involved in the illegal arms trade. He said that his friend, Sajan Kumar, alias Deepak, from Bahraich, provided him with two pistols to be delivered in Maharashtra," said the ASP.
Vishwakarma, following Sajan's instructions, travelled by train to Maharashtra, where he was arrested by the Chitalsar Manpada police on Nov 5. After his arrest, he managed to escape custody on Nov 6 and went into hiding in Lucknow, the STF said.
The accused further disclosed that his associate, Sajan Kumar, also travelled with him to Maharashtra and was arrested by the VP Road Police in Mumbai on Nov 5 for supplying two pistols along with cartridges.