Rajasthan Police nab fugitive posing as Sadhu in Rishikesh after 15 years
Synopsis
A 78-year-old fugitive with 23 pending warrants spent 15 years hiding in plain sight — dressed as a Sadhu on the ghats of Rishikesh. Rajasthan Police's Bhupalpura unit cracked the disguise using old photographs and cyber analysis, closing one of the state's longer-running absconder cases.
Key Takeaways
Shyam Lal (78) , resident of Meera Colony, Udaipur , was arrested on 29 July after absconding for 15 years .
He was wanted in connection with 23 permanent warrants at the time of arrest.
The accused disguised himself as a Sadhu and lived on the ghats of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand .
The operation was led by SHO Ratan Singh Chauhan under SP Amrita Duhan , using old photographs, technical analysis, and Cyber Cell support.
Shyam Lal has been remanded to Central Jail ; legal proceedings are underway in all pending cases.
Bhupalpura Police in Udaipur, Rajasthan arrested a habitual offender on 29 July who had evaded the law for 15 years by disguising himself as a Sadhu in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. The accused, Shyam Lal (78), a resident of Meera Colony, Udaipur, was wanted in connection with 23 pending permanent warrants at the time of his arrest.
How the Accused Evaded Arrest
Shyam Lal had adopted a false identity as an ascetic, blending into the religious communities along the ghats of Rishikesh to avoid detection. The ruse held for over a decade and a half, making him one of the longer-running absconders pursued under Rajasthan Police's special campaign.
When specific intelligence placed him in Uttarakhand, the special police team initially searched Haridwar but found no trace of him. The search was then extended systematically across multiple ghats in Rishikesh.
The Operation That Cracked the Case
The arrest was the result of a coordinated operation led by Station House Officer (SHO) Ratan Singh Chauhan, operating under the direction of Udaipur Superintendent of Police Amrita Duhan and supervised by Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Umesh Ojha and Circle Officer (City East) Chhavi Sharma.
The ground team deployed old photographs, technical analysis, and sustained field operations to identify and apprehend Shyam Lal. Head Constable Navalram; Constables Asuram, Raghuvir Singh, Rajendra Kumar, and Devilal; and Cyber Cell personnel Lokesh Raikwal were part of the team. The contributions of Constables Asuram and Raghuvir Singh were specifically noted as commendable.
Legal Action and Next Steps
Following his arrest, Shyam Lal was produced before a court and remanded to Central Jail. Police are now pursuing legal proceedings across all 23 pending cases against him.
The operation was conducted under a special campaign launched by the Rajasthan Police Headquarters to track down long-term absconders. Notably, this case underscores how religious pilgrimage towns — with their transient, anonymous populations — can serve as cover for individuals evading the law. With Shyam Lal now in custody, investigators are expected to move swiftly to close the outstanding warrants.
Point of View
Rishikesh, Varanasi — present a structural blind spot for law enforcement: high footfall, transient populations, and a cultural reluctance to scrutinise ascetics. That a man with 23 warrants lived undisturbed for 15 years in such a setting is less a tribute to his cunning than a question about systemic gaps in inter-state fugitive tracking. Rajasthan Police's use of cyber analysis and old photographs to break the disguise points to a maturing investigative toolkit, but the broader question of how many similar absconders remain hidden in plain sight across pilgrimage towns deserves a policy answer, not just a case-by-case operation.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Shyam Lal and why was he wanted by Rajasthan Police?
Shyam Lal, 78, is a resident of Meera Colony, Udaipur, and a habitual offender against whom 23 permanent warrants were pending. He had been absconding for 15 years to evade arrest in connection with these cases.
How did Shyam Lal manage to hide from police for 15 years?
He adopted a false identity as a Sadhu and lived among the ascetic communities on the ghats of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. The anonymity of the pilgrimage town and his religious disguise allowed him to evade detection for over a decade.
How did Rajasthan Police finally track him down?
Police received specific intelligence placing him in Uttarakhand. After an initial search in Haridwar yielded no results, the team extended operations to Rishikesh, using old photographs, technical analysis, and Cyber Cell support to identify and apprehend him.
Who led the operation to arrest the fugitive?
The operation was led by SHO Ratan Singh Chauhan under the direction of Udaipur SP Amrita Duhan and supervised by ASP (City) Umesh Ojha and Circle Officer (City East) Chhavi Sharma. The ground team included Head Constable Navalram, several constables, and Cyber Cell personnel Lokesh Raikwal.
What happens next after Shyam Lal's arrest?
Shyam Lal was produced before a court and remanded to Central Jail. Rajasthan Police are now pursuing legal proceedings across all 23 pending cases against him.
