Convict arrested after pretending to be dead for 15 years

Uttar Pradesh - The man’s family had given police a fake death certificate in 2006.

Police in Uttar Pradesh have arrested a wanted criminal who'd eluded capture for 15 years by pretending to be dead.

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According to the Times of India, family members of Aniraj Singh, the prime accused in the 2006 Meerut fire tragedy, had presented a fake death certificate to police showing that he had died in the incident.

“During interrogation, it was found that to avoid life imprisonment, he had made a fake death certificate and was working as a security guard in Uttarakhand's Rudrapur with his wife and children," the official said.

Singh had come out of jail on parole for a few days in 2004 and, despite the passing of the scheduled day, failed to appear before the court. The police launched a manhunt. However, upon receiving the fake death certificate, authorities ceased investigations into his case.

The 2006 Meerut Fire tragedy occurred on the evening of April 10, 2006. Around 67 people lost their lives in the tragedy. The fire spread through a consumer fair among about 2,000 people in Victoria Park in the city, leading to a stampede.

• India