CBI arrests proclaimed offender Masad Seikh in 2022 Bhadu Seikh murder case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested proclaimed offender Masad Seikh in connection with the Bhadu Seikh murder case, originating from Wari Bander, Dongri, Mumbai. The accused had been at large since the FIR was filed in 2022 and had not participated in the investigation or trial proceedings. His whereabouts were determined through human intelligence and technical inputs.

The case was registered by the CBI on April 8, 2022, following an order from the Calcutta High Court dated the same day. It involved transferring FIR number 168/2022 from Rampurhat Police Station, concerning the murder of Bhadu Seikh on March 21, 2022, at Bogtui in Birbhum district, West Bengal.

Following the investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet and supplementary chargesheets in 2022 and 2023 against nine accused individuals, including Masad Seikh, before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Rampurhat, Birbhum. The trial was later transferred to the Additional District and Sessions Judge, 4th Court, Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal.

The accused’s prolonged absence delayed proceedings. As a proclaimed offender, he remained untraceable for over four years until CBI teams located him in Mumbai. The arrested individual will now be transported from Mumbai to Kolkata for presentation before the appropriate court.

The CBI emphasised that the arrest highlights its commitment to ensuring the presence of all charge-sheeted individuals in cases transferred by higher judicial authorities. Further legal actions, including remand, will be pursued once the accused appears in court in West Bengal. The Bhadu Seikh murder case attracted regional attention due to the circumstances surrounding the crime and the High Court’s decision to transfer the investigation to the central agency. Authorities have not disclosed the specific role attributed to Masad Seikh or the evidence against him beyond confirming his inclusion among the nine individuals already charged.

Additional details are anticipated following formal production and court proceedings. This development occurs amid ongoing efforts by the CBI to resolve pending absconder cases across multiple states.

The agency reaffirmed that sustained intelligence efforts remain vital to apprehending long-absconding suspects.

The production of the accused in Kolkata will mark the next phase of the legal process in this four-year-old case originating from Birbhum, an official said.