BENGALURU: A 56-year-old life convict who had been absconding for nearly seven years after failing to return to prison following the expiry of his parole was arrested by the Parappana Agrahara police in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. The accused has been identified as Narasimha Reddy, a native of Andhra Pradesh.
Police said Reddy was arrested by the Pavagada police in 2013, along with four others, for dacoity and the murder of a house owner before stealing gold ornaments. In 2015, the Madhugiri court convicted Reddy and sentenced him to life imprisonment in the case.
He was subsequently lodged at Bengaluru Central Prison. In November 2019, he applied for 30 days of parole, citing his mother’s illness, but failed to return to prison after the parole period ended. Despite several search operations, the police were unable to trace him.
The police had also announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information about his whereabouts.
On Friday, the police received information that Reddy was undergoing treatment at a hospital after sustaining a leg fracture in a road accident. Following the medical procedure, he was taken into police custody, the police said. The investigation revealed that he had changed his name to Srinivasa Reddy to evade arrest. He did not use a mobile phone or possess an Aadhaar card and had also stayed away from his family. He even missed his daughter’s wedding, the police added.