Criminal living as sadhu finally arrested after 17 yrs

Mathura (Uttar Pardesh), Dec 29 A criminal, Ajay Sharma, has been arrested by the Mathura police, who was on the run for 17 years and was staying at a village temple in Hapur district in the guise of a sadhu.

Ajay and three others had been booked for robbing passengers travelling in a car on Agra-Delhi highway in 2005.

The other three were arrested soon after the crime but Ajay managed to escape.

He then changed his name to Brahmagiri Maharaj, shaved his beard and tonsured his head to hide his identity.

Ajay's luck finally ran out two days ago when his brother Arun informed the police about the hiding place, following a fight between the two over sharing of parental property.

Ajay, originally a resident of Ghaziabad, is now 54 years old.

After he absconded, the Mathura police announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for any information leading to his arrest.

Police said a case of murder and rioting was also pending against him in Jaipur.

SHO of Highway Police Station in Mathura said that the police received a tip-off that Ajay had changed his identity and was living at the Shivhari temple in the Sikhera village of Hapur district.