Rajkot, August 24: Gujarat police have successfully apprehended a fugitive accused who had been on the run for 31 years. The 60-year-old Pratap Bhuriya was arrested by the Valsad district local crime branch (LCB) in the village of Khatli, Rajkot district. He was wanted in connection with a robbery case from 1996, which was registered at the Vapi Town police station.
Pratap Bhuriya faced charges under Sections 392 and 395 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to police reports, he had evaded arrest for many years, frequently changing his location while working as an agricultural laborer across various districts in the state.
The incident in question occurred on the night of November 27, 1996. It is alleged that four unidentified individuals broke into a house in the Chhiri Kadiya Faliya area of Vapi. The assailants threatened the complainant and witnesses with sticks and knives, stealing cash and gold jewelry before fleeing the scene.
During the investigation, police arrested seven suspects, while two remained at large for an extended period. Utilizing information from previously arrested suspects, technical analysis, and a network of informants, police resumed their search for Pratap.
The LCB developed a network of informants and discovered that Pratap was working as an agricultural laborer and frequently changing his residence. A significant breakthrough occurred when Assistant Police Constable Pankaj Rupabhai from the Parole-Furlough Squad received a tip-off that Pratap was working in Khatli village in the Jam Kandorna area of Rajkot district.
Under the leadership of Sub-Inspector J.B. Dhanesha, the LCB team had been working on this case for nearly three months. Team members stayed in Khatli village, maintaining contact with local informants and gathering information through undercover human intelligence networks.
Ultimately, Pratap Bhuriya was arrested from the fields of Haresbhai Vekariya. According to police, Pratap originally hails from Bokadiya village in the Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh and was residing on a farm in Khatli at the time of his arrest.
Following his apprehension, he has been handed over to the Vapi Town police station for further legal action and investigation. This arrest is part of a broader initiative by Gujarat police to locate long-wanted fugitives.
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