AHMEDABAD: In a staggering display of negligence, the police may have inadvertently paved the way for alleged wife-killer Tarun Jinaraj to flee the country. Jinaraj, accused of strangling his wife, Sajni Nair, to death in cold blood on Valentines Day in 2003, was on the run for 15 years until the police caught him from Bengaluru. However, at the time of his arrest, it seems that the police did not seize Jinarajs passport, which he held under the assumed identity of Pravin Bhateley. And the 47-year-old is suspected to have exploited this glaring oversight by the authorities to leave the country, possibly through the Nepal border.After murdering his wife and fleeing from Ahmedabad, Jinaraj seamlessly operated under the false identity of Bhateley, a friend from Madhya Pradesh, and even secured a high-ranking position at a multinational corporation in Bengaluru. Jinaraj, who got married again and had two children, was sent abroad for work on multiple occasions. However, a phone call to his mother from his Bengaluru office landline ultimately led to his arrest.Sajni murder accused may have escaped to Nepal Top sources involved with the case confirmed that Jinarajs passport was never confiscated. The reason? It was supposedly in the custody of his employer. This oversight has raised concerns among Sajnis family and the police, as it strongly suggests that Jinaraj may have used this very passport to make a daring escape from India. A senior officer from the citys crime branch disclosed that the investigation was transferred to Sarkhej police following Jinarajs arrest from Bengaluru by the crime branch in October 2018."We have received information that Jinarajs passport had not been confiscated, and we are investigating this matter. We suspect he may have escaped the country, possibly crossing the border into Nepal. He may have retrieved the passport clandestinely and used it as his ticket to flee the country," the officer said. This revelation adds another layer of intrigue to the case.The 47-year-olds audacious escape came after he mysteriously vanished following his release on temporary bail for 15 days on August 4. He was supposed to return to Sabarmati Central Jail by noon on August 19 but failed to show up.Jail authorities issued an alert, urging the police and other law enforcement agencies to locate him. Subsequently, a local court issued a non-bailable warrant against Jinaraj on September 18. The city police commissioner has entrusted DCP (cybercrime) Ajit Rajian with the task of tracking down Jinaraj within a month.A senior police officer said that they have been inquiring about two other persons apart from his mother who went to meet Jinaraj.

Stay updated with all the Ahmedabad Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.