The manhunt for Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal’s murderer accused is a classic example of how public-police cooperation can lead positive results. The incident relates to June 28 when Prahlad Singh Chundawat, a farmer, got a call from the Deogarh police station in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district informing him that two men, Mohammed Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad, wanted in the case of the barbaric murder of the Udaipur tailor are believed to be near his village. 

The police made the call as part of their efforts to alert locals about the potential whereabouts of the accused and nab them before they could get too far. Word of the murder had already spread throughout Udaipur and nearby areas, and videos shot by the accused spread on social media like wildlife. 

“When the two entered Deogarh that day, the first information we received was from a man from the minority community — he had seen the two accused drive past a local factory after 6.30 pm. Based on that information, we informed local residents, including Chundawat, that the accused were nearby and that they should inform us the moment they spot the duo,” Shaitan Singh, SHO, Deogarh police station, told The Indian Express.

The accused managed to give Prahlad and Shakti Singh, another farmer from Deogarh, a slip, as they drove through the local market after reaching Bhim. However, the farmer duo quickly discovered the accused on a neighbouring roadway and informed the police. 

“We tailed them for 3 or 4 km before the two realised they were being followed,” Chundawat said. The criminals brandished draggers and warned Chandawat and Shakti not to follow them. The duo, however, continued to pursue Mohammed Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad when they left Deogarh and entered the Bhim police station’s (jurisdiction) territory where the two accused were subsequently arrested.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot met Prahlad Singh Chundawat and Shakti Singh and appreciated them for their bravery. Several representatives of the Rajput community, including Congressman Dharmendra Rathore and Congress MLA Sudarshan Singh Rawat from Bhim were also present. Notably, The Shree Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) requested government employment for the pair on Tuesday in recognition of their bravery.