Delhi Police Crime Branch on Monday, 4 August 2025, arrested Manoharan Kandhasamy, a proclaimed offender carrying a reward of ₹50,000, ending a manhunt that had stretched over 12 years in a sensitive forgery case involving fake letterheads of prominent political offices and government authorities. The accused was traced to Tiruchengode in Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu, where he had been living under a concealed identity.

Origins of the Case

The chain of events began with FIR No. 384/2007 under Section 380 IPC at Mandir Marg Police Station, New Delhi, filed on the complaint of Vijay Kumar, a resident of Hyderabad. Kumar reported that gold ornaments and other valuables kept inside an almirah at a Dharamshala in Delhi were stolen after the lock was broken. During the subsequent investigation, police apprehended Kandhasamy, who originally hailed from Mangaluru, Karnataka.

Although the stolen property was not recovered from his possession, investigators found several printed and blank letterheads purportedly issued by eminent political offices and government authorities. The gravity of the discovery led to a separate FIR No. 33/2008 under Sections 465 and 468 of the Indian Penal Code at Mandir Marg Police Station. Both cases were subsequently transferred to the Crime Branch for deeper investigation.

How He Evaded Arrest for Over a Decade

Kandhasamy was arrested in connection with the forgery case and remanded to judicial custody. After approximately one month, the court granted him bail. According to police, he deliberately failed to appear before the court thereafter, absconding and obstructing the judicial process.

In 2014, the Court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Patiala House Courts, New Delhi, formally declared him a Proclaimed Offender. Despite sustained efforts by investigators over the following years, he remained untraceable, prompting authorities to announce a reward of ₹50,000 for credible information leading to his arrest.

During interrogation, Kandhasamy reportedly admitted that he absconded intentionally, fearing conviction and re-imprisonment. He told investigators he severed ties with former associates, relocated to Tamil Nadu, and continuously concealed his identity and whereabouts from law enforcement.

The Operation That Led to His Arrest

After more than a month of sustained technical surveillance and field verification, the Crime Branch team identified a mobile number allegedly being used by the accused in Tamil Nadu. Continuous surveillance and ground inquiries in the state eventually led investigators to a godown on the outskirts of Tiruchengode, where Kandhasamy was reportedly engaged in the poultry business.

He was arrested on 4 August by the Crime Branch team. Aged approximately 62 years, Kandhasamy had settled in Tiruchengode with his wife and two children, operating a poultry farm as his primary source of income.

Significance of the Arrest

The case is notable not only for the duration of the accused's evasion but also for the nature of the original offence — the alleged misuse of letterheads bearing the identities of prominent political and government offices raises questions about the potential scale of document fraud. This comes amid broader concerns about identity and document forgery in India, where such offences can be leveraged to fraudulently obtain state benefits, influence official proceedings, or impersonate authorities.

The Crime Branch arrest closes a long-pending judicial matter and is expected to bring the case to trial, with Kandhasamy now in custody after more than a decade as a fugitive.