Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch’s Unit 3 successfully arrested accused Vinod Pal from a village in Madhya Pradesh, aided by crucial leads provided by the fingerprint department. According to a Crime Branch official, Pal fled Mumbai after committing a robbery and was captured on multiple CCTV cameras during his escape. The fingerprint department matched his images with records in their criminal database, revealing his criminal history and status as a wanted fugitive.
Police stated that technical surveillance confirmed Pal was hiding in the border region between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Acting on this intelligence, multiple Crime Branch teams conducted searches in Niwari, Datia, and Tikamgarh districts of Madhya Pradesh, as well as Jhansi and Lalitpur districts in Uttar Pradesh.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Pal was hiding in a field near Simra Phata, using tall grass as cover. When the Crime Branch team reached the location, Pal’s relatives had concealed him under sacks of grass. The team faced resistance and was attacked by the relatives but ultimately managed to arrest Pal.
However, the stolen goods were found to have been hidden elsewhere and are yet to be recovered by the police. The fingerprint department’s outstanding contribution to the case earned them a reward of ₹50,000.
