Kanchan Mishra is Free At Last, Sultan Mian Arrested

Patna: May 4, 2003

Kanchan Mishra is free!

Sultan Mian, or Shaitan Mian, or the Veerappan of Bihar, or the Bin Laden of Bihar, or the modern-day Ravan who abducted Sita - no matter how one describes this criminal who rose to national and international notoriety because of his abduction and forcible marriage to Mishra last December, has been arrested by a Special Task Force (STF) team in Siwan.

Mian was arrested by the STF team led by two DSPs Sanjay Kumar and Dilnawaz Ahmed from a house in Daldali Gali on Saturday morning, the police said. Though the arrest was by and large routine, it didn't come without any resistance from Mian, they said. Seeing the police surrounding the house from all side, Mian made a last minute ditch to escape by jumping from the third floor of the building but was immediately apprehended by the police, Special Task Force SP B. K. Singh said.

The team was on his trail for last three days, the SP added.

The police recovered Kanchan Mishra, an already married woman before she was abducted by Mian, from the house who remains under police custody for security and interrogation purposes.

While police had long suspected Mian of enjoying political patronage under the Siwan MP Shahabuddin, the fact that he was arrested not too far away from the MP's residence sort of confirms the suspicion, a Siwan police said under condition of anonymity.

Mian rose to national and international notoriety after he abducted Mishra last December and forcibly married her leading to a widespread dissent in Bihar as well as other countries where many were enraged by this criminal act including the high-profile case of Manoj Kamalia, a prominent Patna City businessman, who was killed by Mian early last year. He had been involved in more than two dozen cases of murders, kidnapping, extortions, armed robberies and act of terrorism and was carrying a reward of Rs. 50,000 on his head. Some private groups had even set up a fund nearly ten times more than the official reward for Mian's capture and safe release of Kanchan Mishra.

While there is no doubt many people in Bihar and elsewhere are thrilled to hear the news of Mian's arrest, some are already worried that the criminal will once again get away from the police custody since he was handed over to the Siwan police, a territory practically owned by Shahabuddin.