New Delhi, March 26 (IANS): Two fugitives, evading arrest since 2016 in a murder case, were nabbed by Special Cell from Delhi’s Najafgarh area, police said on Tuesday.

The accused were identified as Kabir Nat a.k.a Shakil Khalifa (25), and Bablu Nat (27), both residents of Samastipur district in Bihar.

Police said that the duo was also declared ‘proclaimed offender’ by the court in 2018.

On July 3, 2016, information was received at the Ranhola police station in the outer district regarding a dead body found in Som Bazar Gomti Garden.

“Through preliminary investigation, the deceased was identified as Bandhu Rai, a resident of Vikas Nagar, who worked as a contractor in Delhi,” said a senior police officer.

According to the statements of the family members, three individuals, named Bablu Nat, Kabir Nat, and Mohd Aslam, who belonged to the same village in Bihar as the deceased, solicited Bandhu Rai's help for labour work in Delhi.

Upon invitation by Bandhu Rai, all three travelled to Delhi and were accommodated at his residence, as the deceased's family had returned to their village in Bihar. After Bandhu Rai's death, the three persons disappeared.

The post-mortem examination revealed that the cause of death was asphyxia due to manual strangulation.

Local police made efforts to trace the accused but were unsuccessful to date. All three accused persons were declared Proclaimed Offenders by a court order dated August 31, 2018.

“Subsequently, an untraceable charge sheet, naming all the accused persons as proclaimed offenders, was filed in court by the police,” said the official.

However, on March 22, specific information was received that two individuals involved in the murder case would be near Najafgarh Anaj Mandi. “Accordingly, a team was constituted and dispatched to Najafgarh, where a trap was laid and both accused individuals were apprehended near Najafgarh Anaj Mandi,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Manoj C.

During interrogation, Kabir and Bablu disclosed that on the intervening night of July 2-3, 2016, they all consumed alcohol together.

“An argument ensued, during which the three accused individuals devised a plan to kill Bandhu Rai and rob him of his money. Two of the arrested accused restrained Bandhu Rai's hands and legs, while the third accused, Mohammad Aslam, strangled him and took money from his pocket before fleeing the scene,” the DCP added.