Who is a proclaimed offender

If any Court has reason to believe that any person against whom a warrant of arrest has been issued by it has absconded or is concealing himself so that such warrant cannot be executed, such Court may publish a written proclamation requiring him to appear at a specified place and at a specified time not less than 30 days from the date of publishing such proclamation. Where a proclamation published is in respect of a person accused of certain specified heinous offences and such person fails to appear at the specified place and time required by the proclamation may pronounce him a ‘Proclaimed Offender’ and make a declaration to that effect. s.82 CrPC

This is further to above reply by learned Advocate Mr. Ravinder to the second part of your query:

The primary responsibility for securing the arrest of a proclaimed offender rests with the police of the station in which he is a resident. A Proclaimed Offender may, however, be arrested by any police officer without any order from a Magistrate and without a warrant. Any private person may arrest a PO and hand him over without unnecessary delay to a police officer/ nearest police station.

The punishment for non-appearance in response to the proclamation under section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure:

• Whoever fails to appear at the specified place and the specified time as required by a proclamation by the Court of the type described above is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years or with fine or with both, and

• Where a declaration has been made by the Court pronouncing him as a proclaimed offender, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years and shall also be liable to fine. s. 174-A IPC