A 31-year-old man, who had killed a teenager for sharing a social media post in 2021, was apprehended from Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, police said on Monday.

The accused, Bhuvan Joshi, was apprehended after an undercover head-constable posed as a momo seller to confirm his identification.

Joshi had been on the run since the murder of the 17-year-old boy in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar area.

In December 2021, the victim was abducted and stabbed to death by a group of men after his social media post sparked criticism. While the other accused were arrested, Joshi managed to escape and was declared a proclaimed offender by a court in June 2022.

“After four years of evasion, the crime branch officials tracked Joshi to Rudrapur, where he had changed his identity and was running a Chinese food stall,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Crime, Aditya Gautam.

The officer further said that a team was continuously searching the accused and after his location was verified, a team was sent to Rudrapur and he was apprehended.

The DCP said the police deployed an undercover operation to confirm his presence.

Head constable Sonveer posed as a momo seller and gathered crucial information about the accused. On March 2, Joshi was finally identified and arrested near Savera Apartment.

Initially, he attempted to mislead the officers but later confessed to his involvement in the murder. He has been brought back to Delhi for further legal proceedings.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)