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His location was traced after the same account was used to pay for an LPG refill. Police then contacted the gas agency to obtain his delivery address. Once his location was confirmed in Pandhurna and verified, Fazilka Police coordinated with local authorities nabbing him.
LPG refill helps police track down ex-Army officer on the run for 4 years in wife’s murder case(Hindustan Times)A former Army captain, Sandeep Tomar, who had been evading arrest for nearly four years after being convicted of murdering his wife, has been apprehended in Madhya Pradesh’s Pandhurna district. His arrest was carried out on Saturday through a joint operation involving Fazilka Police and NATGRID (National Intelligence Grid).
Tomar was found guilty of strangling his wife, Shweta Singh, in 2013 at the Abohar Cantonment in Punjab, just five months after their marriage. At the time, he claimed that she had taken her own life. However, forensic evidence later confirmed that she had been strangled. A local court sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2014, following which he was dismissed from the Army, The Times of India (TOI) reported.
After serving five years in Ferozepur Jail, he was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2019 while his appeal was pending. However, when the High Court upheld his life imprisonment, he failed to surrender and went into hiding.
How ex-Army captain eluded police?
The TOI report stated that he lived in different cities under a false identity. Investigators said he worked as a real estate agent in Zirakpur before relocating to Odisha and later Bengaluru. He eventually settled in Pandhurna, part of the former Chhindwara district, where he was employed as a manager at a juice factory. He had also remarried during this period.
Officials said his arrest was the result of a coordinated effort between local police and national intelligence agencies. Despite using a fake identity in daily life, two key digital trails led investigators to him. Tomar had used his original PAN card to open a salary bank account and later used the same account to book an LPG cylinder refill.
How an LPG cylinder helped police catch him
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been tracking his financial activity linked to his real identity. The use of his PAN card and salary deposits into the account from a Madhya Pradesh-based firm led to his arrest.
His location was traced after the same account was used to pay for an LPG refill. Police then contacted the gas agency to obtain his delivery address. Once his location was confirmed in Pandhurna and verified, Fazilka Police coordinated with local authorities nabbing him. He was later brought back to Punjab on transit remand and produced before a court in Abohar, where he was sent to judicial custody on March 28.
About the Author
Kanishka Singharia
Kanishka Singharia is a Senior Content Producer at Mint with a passion for news, trends, and the stories shaping the digital world. She specialises in spotting viral narratives by constantly tracking social media platforms and turning them into engaging, reader-friendly stories. Her work ranges from fast-paced breaking updates to sensitive human-interest features, blending speed with clarity. <br><br> With over four years of experience in news and trend reporting, Kanishka has worked with leading organisations such as Hindustan Times and Times Now. She moves seamlessly between profiling business leaders and telling the stories of everyday people, covering national developments just as effortlessly as the memes and conversations that dominate online culture. <br><br> She also reports on real estate developments and civic challenges in major urban hubs like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Gurugram. Her coverage frequently explores the struggles of startup founders, inspiring journeys of CEOs, and the experiences of candidates dealing with the complexities of visa processes. <br><br> Kanishka holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism from Delhi University and a diploma from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. Rarely offline, she spends much of her time scrolling through X, LinkedIn, Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook in search of the next big story. When she finally logs off, she enjoys binge-watching shows and exploring cafes in pursuit of good food and better conversations.
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