Punjab Police arrest ex-Army officer after LPG clue
Punjab Police arrest ex-Army officer after LPG booking exposes hideout
Arrest after four years on the run
Punjab Police have arrested a former Indian Army officer who had been absconding for four years in a wife murder case. The accused was traced and detained in Madhya Pradesh after an LPG cylinder booking led investigators to his location.
The accused has been identified as Sandeep Tomar, a former captain in the Indian Army. He had been evading arrest since 2022 despite a court order upholding his life sentence.
Murder case and court proceedings
According to police records, Sandeep Tomar was involved in the murder of his wife in 2013. He initially attempted to project the incident as a suicide. However, investigation later established it as a case of homicide.
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Following this, he was dismissed from Army service. A trial court convicted him and awarded life imprisonment. He served time in jail from 2014 and was granted bail in 2019.
Tomar had challenged his conviction in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In September 2022, the High Court upheld the life sentence. He was required to surrender after the verdict but failed to do so and went absconding.
SIT formed after court direction
With the accused evading arrest, the victim’s father approached the court seeking immediate action. The court directed police to expedite efforts to apprehend him.
In response, Punjab Police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to track him down. For nearly four years, the team monitored his financial and identity-linked activities, including PAN and Aadhaar usage.
LPG booking leads to breakthrough
Despite tracking bank activity linked to his PAN, police were unable to locate him as he frequently changed addresses. The breakthrough came when Tomar used his Aadhaar and PAN details to book an LPG cylinder.
The transaction helped police identify his presence in Madhya Pradesh. Investigators then coordinated with the gas agency that delivered the cylinder to trace his exact location.
Based on this lead, police teams moved in and arrested him.
Transit to Punjab and further action
Following the arrest, Sandeep Tomar has been taken into custody and shifted from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab. Police officials confirmed that he will be produced before a court for further legal proceedings.
The case highlights how routine digital transactions are increasingly aiding law enforcement agencies in tracking absconding accused persons.
