Hyderabad: On May 2, Suryapet police held a press conference announcing the arrest of 31-year-old Boddu Thirupathi, a fugitive life convict from Guntur who had been on the run since jumping parole in 2019.For nearly six years, Thirupathi evaded capture—unaware that theTelangana high court had overturned his life sentence six months earlier.In a surprising lapse, prison officials who filed a police complaint about the absconding convict in early 2024—four-and-a-half years after his parole violation—failed to inform police about the high court’s Nov 2024 order quashing his conviction. It was only after his arrest that both the police and Thirupathi learned of the court’s decision. Despite the acquittal, Thirupathi remains in judicial remand at Nalgonda district jail, charged under IPC section 224 for absconding from lawful custody.A native of Mattampally in Suryapet district, Thirupathi previously worked as a waiter at a hotel in Auto Nagar, Vanasthalipuram. He was arrested in June 2012 for allegedly murdering a co-worker and, in Dec 2015, an additional sessions court in Rangareddy district sentenced him to life imprisonment. In 2016, Thirupathi challenged the verdict in the high court.While his appeal was pending, Thirupathi was granted a 30-day parole on Aug 17, 2019, while serving time at the Cherlapally open air prison (prisoners agricultural colony).He never returned. Shockingly, prison authorities did not file a missing complaint until Feb 2024.Acting on the complaint from the then superintendent of Cherlapally prison, Mattampally police registered a case under section 224 of the IPC on Feb 9, 2024. The complaint stated: “Thirupathi has not surrendered till date and has overstayed his parole (escaped) since Sept 17, 2019. Register a case against him and return him to the Cherlapally prisoners agricultural colony to serve the remainder of his sentence.”The case might have remained buried if not for a 2025 review of long-pending grave offences by senior officers. A renewed effort led to his arrest in Guntur on May 2. Thirupathi had severed all ties with his family, married a widow, and worked discreetly at a local hotel to avoid detection.Upon his arrest, Mattampally police contacted Cherlapally prison officials and discovered—much to their surprise—that the high court had set aside Thirupathi’s conviction on Nov 12, 2024. “There was no way to inform Thirupathi. His family had no contact with him, and even his legal aid counsel couldn’t reach him,” a prison department official explained.Mattampally police subsequently informed Thirupathi of the court’s decision. “He is currently in judicial remand at Nalgonda district jail for violating parole,” confirmed Kodad DSP M Sridhar Reddy.