The bizarre incident unfolded in New Delhi, where police were forced to resort to unconventional means to track down Balkishan Chaubey, wanted in connection with 16 crimes including murder.

As police knew Mr Chaubey was looking for a woman to marry, they arranged for a woman from the force to contact him by phone, pretending to have dialled the wrong number.

Tilak Singh, superintendent of police for the Chhatarpur sub-division, said: “Chaubey called her back and they started talking to each other. After a week, the woman proposed marriage to him.”

Mr Chaubey agreed and arrived at the temple as arranged, but was immediately arrested and jailed on remand, The Guwahati Times reports.