Pilibhit (UP), Apr 8 (PTI) A criminal wanted by Haryana Police managed to flee from an ashram here before a team could nab him, officials said on Tuesday.
Circle Officer (CO) of the city area, Deepak Chaturvedi, told reporters that police had received information that the absconding criminal had been running an ashram in a village under Gajraula jurisdiction.
"The matter is under thorough investigation. The accused is currently absconding," he said.
According to the police, the real name of the fugitive is Vibhor Vatra, a resident of Sector 4 in Panchkula, Haryana.
He had been on the run since 2014 after a case of fraud was registered against him. In 2015, the Haryana Police announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for his arrest, and a Panchkula court declared him a proclaimed offender in 2016.
The police said that for the past four years, Vibhor had been living in Pilibhit disguised as a monk. He stayed at the ashram only for a few days each month. He also allegedly owns another ashram in Champawat, Uttarakhand.
The officials said he had developed close ties with several senior political figures across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and other states during his time managing these ashrams.
Police officials added that acting on a tip-off, a team from Haryana's Panchkula district coordinated with local police and raided the ashram, but the accused had already escaped.