BAREILLY (Web Desk) – A man accused of murdering his brother in 1987 has finally been arrested after more than three decades on the run, after hiding his identity and converting religions.
Pradeep Kumar Saxena, a Hindu resident of Bareilly, killed his brother Sanjeev Saxena, an employee at UPSRTC, in 1987. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1989 but escaped during parole, vanishing without a trace.
Saxena resurfaced in Moradabad, adopting the Muslim name Abdul Rahim. He grew a beard, dressed in traditional kurta-pyjama, and worked as a taxi driver. In 2002, he converted to Islam and married a Muslim woman, establishing a permanent residence to evade capture. Locals referred to him as the “Saxena Driver,” unaware of his true Hindu identity.
It took a rare order from the Allahabad High Court to prompt police action. A special team, led by Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya, traced leads from family members and informants. His brother Suresh provided a crucial tip that Saxena was living in Moradabad under a new identity.
Pradeep Saxena, now over 70, admitted to changing both his religion and identity to avoid arrest. He was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bareilly, on Friday and remanded to custody, according to reports in Indian media.
This extraordinary case raises questions about India’s ability to track fugitives, enforce long-term warrants, and monitor parolees, revealing how loopholes in the system can be exploited to evade justice for decades.