Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the Anti-Robbery & Snatching Cell (ARSC) of the Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a 34-year-old sexual assault accused who had been absconding for nearly five years after being declared a Proclaimed Offender (PO) in 2021.
The accused, identified as Sumit Mishra, was wanted in FIR No. 129/2021, registered under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) IPC at Police Station Ranhola, Outer District, Delhi. Despite sustained efforts, he had evaded arrest since the registration of the case and was formally declared a proclaimed offender by a Delhi court in July 2021.
Case Background
According to police, the victim—an educated woman employed at a government-run Mohalla Clinic—had approached the accused in March 2021 for assistance in filling out documents for a Civil Defence job. During this interaction, the accused obtained her mobile number and later contacted her under false pretences. He allegedly sexually assaulted the victim, resulting in pregnancy, and further recorded obscene videos, which were circulated to her family members to threaten and traumatise her.
Following the complaint, a case was registered, but the accused went underground, forcing the police to initiate proclamation proceedings.
🚨 ARSC | CRIME BRANCH, DELHI POLICE 🚨
— Crime Branch Delhi Police (@CrimeBranchDP) January 11, 2026
🚔 JUSTICE DELIVERED AFTER 5 YEARS
🔴 A fugitive accused in a sexual assault & criminal intimidation case registered at PS Ranhola, Delhi arrested after years on the run
🔹 Declared Proclaimed Offender by the court
🔹 Absconding across… pic.twitter.com/UWt8DB6ti9
Inter-State Hunt and Arrest
A dedicated ARSC team, led by Inspectors Mangesh Tyagi and Robin Tyagi under the supervision of ACP Sanjay Kumar Nagpal, tracked the accused across Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where he frequently changed jobs and identities, working as a hotel waiter and hatchery worker.
On January 9, 2026, a raid was conducted near Haridwar, Uttarakhand, but the accused escaped with the help of local associates. However, continuous technical surveillance and human intelligence enabled the Crime Branch to trace his movements back to Delhi, leading to his arrest on January 10, 2026, in the Outer Delhi area.
Police also revealed that during an earlier raid in Sonipat, Haryana, in 2022, the accused’s associates had attacked a police team, resulting in a separate criminal case.
The accused was produced before the concerned court and formally arrested by the Investigating Officer of PS Ranhola. Further legal proceedings are underway.
Senior officials said the arrest reflects the Crime Branch’s sustained commitment to tracking absconders and ensuring justice in heinous crimes, irrespective of the time elapsed.
