New Delhi, Apr 30 (UNI) The Delhi Police has arrested a person, who was convicted by a district court in Andhra Pradesh for killing 18 people in a blast at Mehboobnagar in 2003.

Delhi Police said Ashraf Ali Ansari alias Mohd Shahbad was nabbed from Karawal Nagar in trans Yamuna area of East Delhi.

He was carrying an identity card impersonating himself as a reporter of Mumbai-based ''Crime Writer'' newspaper. He was using the card to hoodwink the police in Mumbai, the police said.

Ashraf had escaped from police custody in May 2005 from a running train at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh while on his way to Kurukshetra in Haryana for the trial of another case.

He was living in Bandra area of Mumbai, the police said.

Ashraf, originaly from Jyoti Ba Phule Nagar of Muradabad in Uttar Pradesh, took to crime in his youth.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment along with Arif, Firoz and Sanjay. Rest of the convicts are lodged in a jail in Andhra Pradesh.

The convicts were carrying chemicals and explosives in a suitcase which exploded killing 18 people.

The Andhra Pradesh police had arrested them from a hospital where they were recuperating after the blast.

Ashraf is also involved in other crimes in various states.

UNI PAT PA RN1847