New Delhi: The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested 72-year-old Hari Singh Shekhawat, who had allegedly been evading arrest for nearly 18 years in connection with an extortion case dating back to 2008. Shekhawat was arrested from a residential society in Jaipur, Rajasthan, following an interstate search operation.
Case dates back to 2008
According to police, the case was registered on March 15, 2008, when Shekhawat was allegedly working with a prominent garment multinational and attempted to extort money from the company.
The case involved allegations of extortion, criminal intimidation and attempt to commit offences. Shekhawat subsequently failed to appear before the court during the proceedings and continued to evade the legal process.
A court declared him a proclaimed offender on April 2, 2016.
Police tracked him across several states
The Special Cell’s South-Western Range team had been working to trace criminals who had remained absconding for long periods. Police said Shekhawat had changed his location several times to avoid arrest.
According to the investigation, he initially moved to Gujarat and later shifted to Rajasthan. His movements were tracked through sustained human surveillance and verification.
After more than a month of surveillance, police received specific information on August 13 that Shekhawat was hiding in Jaipur. A team subsequently travelled to the city and searched for him.
Arrest from Jaipur residential society
The police team eventually confirmed Shekhawat’s presence inside a residential society in Jaipur. After verifying his identity, officers apprehended and arrested him in accordance with the law.
The operation involved tracking his movements across Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan, according to police officials. Worked in senior positions at multinational companies
Police said Shekhawat is an XLRI graduate and had worked in senior positions at several multinational companies during his professional career.
At the time of the alleged 2008 offence, he was employed with a prominent garment multinational. The police investigation into the old extortion case is now proceeding following his arrest.
The arrest brings to an end his long period of evading the legal process, with further proceedings to follow according to law.
