Bhopal 'serial slasher' arrested after week-long manhunt
Bhopal police have arrested Devendra Ahirwar, 37, known as the "serial slasher," after he allegedly attacked three women and a girl with a knife on the night of January 29, 2026.
The attacks happened in Piplani and Ayodhya Nagar, sparking fear and leading to multiple police cases.
Ahirwar had a history of similar violent crimes in Sagar city and had stolen a motorcycle around October 2025, with a ₹30,000 reward out for his capture.
Police sifted through 900 CCTV footages, verified 600 known criminals
Ahirwar used a stolen motorcycle to flee after the attacks and later hid at home before he was arrested.
Police put together 40 teams—150 officers and personnel were deployed—to hunt him down. They sifted through more than 900 CCTV footages, verified 600 known criminals and questioned nearly 100 suspects, and finally got a tip about his location near Ayodhya Bypass.
After his arrest on February 5, 2026, he's now in three-day police custody while investigators dig deeper into the case.