Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended Durga Bahadur Bhat Chetri, also known as Deepak, a proclaimed offender who had been absconding in connection with the 2005 abduction and murder of Shyamal Mandal, a BTech student at the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram.
The case was re-registered by the CBI on December 31, 2008, following a High Court of Kerala order transferring the investigation to the federal agency. Bhat had evaded arrest for nearly 18 years before being taken into custody.
The investigation, ongoing for over a decade, had been delayed due to Bhat’s absconding status, but the CBI’s recent efforts finally led to his capture. Further investigation is underway to determine any remaining co-conspirators and the complete sequence of events leading to the tragic death of the student.
This arrest marks a significant step in resolving one of Kerala’s longstanding unsolved abduction and murder cases, bringing relief to the victim’s family after nearly two decades.
