An accused gangster, who worked as a home guard here for 35 years, has been arrested for allegedly securing a job using forged documents and a fake identity, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, Nand Lal alias Nakdu, was charged in multiple criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder and dacoity.

The matter came to light when Nakdu's nephew filed a complaint on December 3 against him and alleged that he had secured the job fraudulently.

During the investigation, the police found that Nakdu, a resident of Chakwara, had killed Munna Yadav from Jehanaganj in 1984 over a personal feud. A murder case was filed against him. In 1987, he faced charges of dacoity, and in 1988, he was booked under the Gangster Act and listed as a history sheeter, police said.

Despite his criminal record, Nakdu secured a position as a home guard in September 1989 using a fabricated identity. He presented a forged Class 8 certificate for eligibility, even though he had studied only up to Class 4 at a primary school. By 1990, Nakdu changed his identity to Nandlal Yadav and continued working under this alias, police said.

Further investigation revealed that in September 1992, local police and intelligence officials signed Nakdu's character certificate, enabling him to maintain his position despite his status as a history-sheeter. He worked at Mehnagar police station for 35 years and evaded detection, police added.

Superintendent of Police (Azamgarh) Hemraj Meena said, "Cases are registered against Nakdu in Rani ki Sarai police station. A departmental investigation is being conducted to determine how he managed to evade detection for so long. The accused is currently in jail".

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