NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has arrested a man from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh who allegedly made his fake death certificate in order to escape trial in several cases in the national capital.
The accused, identified as Virender Vimal, a resident of Mungeshpur village in Delhi, is a habitual offender involved in four cases of house-breaking, theft, and illegal arms possession under Bawana police station in Outer North District, a senior police officer said.
He fraudulently obtained and used a forged death certificate, falsely showing his death on August 24, 2021, leading to the abatement of court proceedings in pending cases.
His identity was conclusively established by digital verification through the Crime Kundli application.
The facial recognition system (FRS) matched his current photograph to his previous police dossier, removing any doubt that the person arrested was the same individual who had submitted the fraudulent death certificate before the court, the officer said.
The accused was wanted in multiple criminal cases at the Bawana police station. In one of the cases, He committed a night burglary at a factory premises located at Sector-3, DSIIDC, Bawana, and stole valuable items and cash.
In another incident, the accused broke into a private residence at Bawana village during late hours and stole household articles and electronic items. He was also apprehended with an illegal firearm and ammunition, the officer said.
After the accused failed to appear before the court and was declared dead through a forged death certificate, the matter was re-examined by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police.
Through scrutiny of digital records and local verification, police established that no such death had occurred, and the certificate had been fraudulently procured to deceive the judicial process.
Acting on a tip-off, a team was formed. After sustained surveillance, the team tracked and apprehended the absconding accused from Gorakhpur, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam said.
The accused primarily targeted industrial units and residential properties at night, stealing cash, electronics, and vehicles. He used stolen vehicles to commit further thefts and evade detection. To permanently escape prosecution, he fraudulently declared himself dead, misleading both the police and the court, the DCP added.
