A man, who was wanted in a murder case in Maharashtra, has been arrested from Uttar Pradesh nearly 16 years after the crime, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, Vinodkumar Bhudiram Singh alias Zhuri, was arrested from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, by the Central Crime Unit of the Mira-Bhayandar-Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police commissionerate.

Confirming the development, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madan Ballal said on Wednesday that the murder had taken place on January 19, 2009, when the 26-year-old Pravin Prabhakar Dhule was attacked by a group in a village in Nalasopara.

Two of the accused - Sikandar Imran Sheikh and Anil Durvi Singh - fired at Dhule at point-blank range that led to his death.

A case was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including 302 (murder), 144 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and and 120B (criminal conspiracy), as well as under the Arms Act and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against him, the police official said.

"Following the incident, the police had arrested 12 persons by 2011, and a chargesheet was filed. But Vinodkumar managed to remain elusive since the day of the murder," he said.

Recently, the police received information that he was hiding in Uttar Pradesh. Taking immediate steps, the crime branch team apprehended Singh at his residence a few days ago, senior police inspector Rahul Rakha of the Central Crime Branch said.

"Following his arrest, the police secured a transit remand from a local court for Vinodkumar's transfer to Nalasopara for further investigation," he said.

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