Notorious Criminal Kaviraj Arrested After 2.5 Years on the Run

On July 31, 2025, the Kolar cyber, economic, and narcotics (CEN) police have arrested Kaviraj, a notorious criminal wanted in 14 serious cases including murder, assault, extortion, and kidnapping. Kaviraj, an associate of underworld operators Ravi Poojari and Muthappa Rai, was also accused in the sensational abduction and assault of former minister Varthur R Prakash.

Originally from the Nepal border region, Kaviraj had been on the run for over two and a half years, frequently changing phones and locations to evade police. Despite several attempts, the case had seen little progress until recently when Kolar SP B Nikhil, while reviewing pending cases, directed CEN inspector Jagadish to take up the investigation afresh and apprehend the absconding accused.

The inspector and his team of constables intensified the search using technical intelligence and digital tracking tools to trace Kaviraj's movements. The breakthrough came when they discovered Kaviraj had recently used a data dongle to access the internet, leaving a rare digital footprint. By tracking the SIM card used in the dongle, they traced him to Noida, where he was located and taken into custody on July 31.