For six years, Sohanlal dodged the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act case from 2020, carrying a Rs 75,000 reward and a place in Rajasthan's top 25 narco-criminals list. He lived in Nepal since October 2025, earlier in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Delhi, Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai where his father runs a steel business, using no mobile phone.
His weakness was faith. Rajasthan Anti-Narcotics Task Force found he regularly visited Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, believing it would help him evade arrest.
Read more - The Munich Slip
Operation Vishanhans was classic police theatre. ANTF officers approached his associates posing as major drug buyers from Punjab offering a large consignment deal. Associates said only Sohanlal himself could negotiate. They arranged meeting outside Kathmandu's Pashupatinath temple.
ANTF team travelled to Kathmandu, waited at locatior provided by associates. When Sohanlal failed to turn up, intelligence revealed he visits temple. Team deployed near temple in disguise - one officer posed as garland seller, another as tilak applicator, blending with devotees.
During surveillance, they spotted a man matching description. He was the accused.
Posing as buyers, officers gained confidence and convinced him to agree to deal. They told him their chief was travelling from Punjab with large cash to purchase drugs. Citing security concerns carrying such sum into Nepal, they persuaded Sohanlal to travel to Raxaul border in Bihar to collect advance payment. As soon as he crossed into Indian territory with his team, ANTF personnel apprehended him.
IG Vikas Kumar called it ANTF's first arrest of internationally absconding wanted person and part of state's continuing crackdown. With this, ANTF has arrested 103 wanted persons.
Read more - Jail Will Cure It
His alleged supply network extended across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan's Mewar region, including Chittorgarh, Udaipur and Bhilwara, supplying doda chura, poppy husk and opium. He entered illegal liquor trade in 2016, shifted to smuggling after falling out over profit-sharing, initially operated alongside other smugglers in Barmer before setting up independent network.
The case shows Indian drug policing is learning two things: cross-border fugitives can be lured without formal extradition drama, and understanding cultural habit is as important as surveillance tech.
Tags: #RajasthanPolice #ANTF #DrugTrafficking #Sohanlal #Pashupatinath #Nepal #NDPSAct #OperationVishanhans #DodaChura #MostWanted