Thane: Vishnunagar Police arrested a murder accused who had been absconding for over two and a half years, nabbing Deepak Sahebrao Karkade (28) from Nanded district on Thursday in an undercover operation.The case dates to November 27, 2023, when the body of Somnath Babu Shinde, bearing severe head injuries, was found near a creek at Devichapada, Dombivli (West). A case was registered under Section 302 of the IPC at Vishnunagar Police Station.Investigations led to the arrest of two accomplices — Vilan Vishnu Thavare (41) and Yogesh Timappa Dongre (42), both residents of Dombivli (West). During interrogation, the duo confessed that they and Karkade had bludgeoned Shinde to death with a stone following a minor dispute. While the two were charge-sheeted, Karkade fled and remained at large for nearly 30 months, frequently changing locations to evade arrest.Acting on mobile surveillance and informant intelligence, a team led by assistant police inspector Sachin Lokhande tracked Karkade to Wategaon in Nanded district. Officers disguised as farmers laid a trap and apprehended him at around 4.45 pm on Thursday.A native of Pegar Gavhan in Parbhani district, Karkade is currently in police custody. The operation involved personnel from Vishnunagar and Manpada police stations.
