The Hindu : New Delhi News : Convict held for impersonation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 20, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Convict held for impersonation

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, OCT. 19. A convict from Orissa, who had been sentenced for life, has been arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi police for allegedly impersonating as someone else and living in the Capital. He had also married a woman using his assumed identity.

According to the police, a woman had complained that her husband, Narhari Dass, a resident of Munirka in South-West Delhi, was harassing her for money. Following investigations, the police arrested Narhari Dass on Monday. Following sustained interrogation, he revealed that his real name was Chandra Shekhar Panda and that he had been sentenced for life in a murder and rioting case in Orissa.

Chandra Shekhar told the police that in 1988, he had committed a murder in broad daylight, along with 10 others, during a rioting in his village at Bhadrak in Orissa. He was arrested along with his associates. The trial court sentenced all of them for life. Chandra Shekhar then appealed in the High Court which upheld the decision.

In 1996, Chandra Shekhar got bail as he filed an appeal in the Supreme Court. On October 10, 2002, the Apex Court dismissed his appeal. However, by then, Chandra Shekhar had already escaped from the police eye and had decided to change his identity. The fugitive convict stole the certificates of his friend Narhari Dass and came to Delhi in 2000. He took up small jobs to earn a living. Early this year, Chandra Shekhar advertised in a leading English daily's matrimonial columns in Narhari's name. A family from East Delhi responded to the advertisement. He told them that he was earning Rs. 30,000 from giving tuitions and that he belonged to a good family from Orissa. But, to avoid any further queries about his family, he told them that his brothers were not on talking terms with him due to a property dispute. The family was convinced of his genuineness and Chandra Shekhar alias Narhari got married. His father-in-law even gifted him a flat. He had already deserted his first wife, Reena, who was married to him in 1995. In course of time, however, Narhari began displaying strange behaviour. He reached the house of his in-laws and threatened his wife to get him Rs. 50,000 as he wanted to have a cosmetic surgery of his face. He told his in-laws that he wanted to do so to look more handsome but said he did not have much time.

On another occasion, Narhari tried to jump off from the window of his first floor flat after he saw a car with red beacon parked outside. He was apparently wary of police catching up with him and hence was in a hurry to change his appearance, the police said.

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