Surat Police have arrested a fugitive accused in a double murder case after he remained on the run for nearly four years. The accused has been identified as Kuna, also known as Kunal Nakul Swain, a resident of Odisha, police said.
Kunal was first arrested in 2017 in connection with a double murder registered in Surat. In January 2022, he was granted interim bail on the grounds of his marriage but failed to surrender after the bail period ended, leading police to declare him absconding and launch a manhunt.
While evading arrest, the accused allegedly changed his identity and moved to Delhi, where he worked as a plumber to avoid detection. Police said he later returned to Surat and resumed work discreetly, believing he had escaped the radar of law enforcement.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Surat Crime Branch tracked his movements and carried out a targeted operation to arrest him without incident. He has been taken into custody for further investigation.
The arrest comes as part of a special drive by Gujarat Police to trace accused persons who absconded after the expiry of interim bail. Under this operation, around 200 to 300 absconders have reportedly been arrested across the state so far.
According to police, the accused allegedly murdered two of his roommates by slitting their throats. He was initially arrested soon after the crime, but went into hiding after failing to return to jail following his interim bail.
