Jammu, Jun 12 (PTI) A man who was wanted for stealing two mobile phones from Mata Vaishno Devi shrine last year was arrested in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Saturday.

Ankush Sharma, a resident of Katra, was booked under relevant sections of the law after the theft at Bhawan police station but had gone underground to evade his arrest, a police official said.

Sharma is a habitual offender and was involved in larceny on the track of Shri Mata Vaishnoo Devi shrine, the official said.

He said the accused could not be apprehended as he had shifted to Leh without leaving footprints of his movement.

"It took more than 18 months for Reasi police to pick clues, trace and arrest him," the official said, adding that police teams chased the accused who was finally arrested from Panthal road near Katra.

He said Sharma was the 16th absconder arrested by police from Reasi district during the past two months.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)