Ranchi, April 6: After repeated strictures and intervention of the Jharkhand High Court, advocate Samudra Nath Pandey, who had been absconding since 2003, was finally nabbed by the police in Shillong.

Senior superintendent of police R.K. Mallick appeared before the court on April 5 and informed a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Nelavoy Dhinakar and Justice R.R. Prasad, that Pandey was arrested in Shillong on March 30.

The matter had come up before the high court in a criminal appeal after Pandey was convicted of murder by the lower court. Pandey was found guilty of killing one Radha Krishna Mishra. It was reported that on May 25, 1994, Pandey had murdered Mishra, a resident of Vikas Nagar at Hesal under the Sukhdeo Nagar police station.

The advocate was then booked under charges of murder and for possessing an illegal firearm. The advocate was also sentenced for life and fined Rs 2,000.

Pandey then moved the high court in January 2002, wherein his appeal was admitted and the lower court records were called for. Thereafter, Pandey again moved the high court in June and November 2002, for bail, which was eventually turned down by the bench. Subsequently, in May 2003, Pandey was allowed provisional bail on health grounds for a period of three months. However, after the expiry of three months, Pandey did not turn himself in and gave the slip to the police. Since then, the police have been running from pillar to post trying to trace Pandey.

In Shillong Pandey was taken into custody under the orders from Shillong chief judicial magistrate.

Special police team comprising an arms party will be dispatched soon with a production warrant, to escort Pandey back to the capital.

Police said the investigation and arrest was based on information they received. They managed to trace Pandey through a mobile number in Shillong. He had moved to Shillong and was posing as an astrologer. Pandey had changed his name to Chetan Narayan Sharma.