Fugitive in 2016 dacoity-murder case arrested

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested a criminal wanted in a dacoity cum murder case registered at the Mehrauli Police Station.

The accused was identified as Vinod Sahani (44) resident of Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

According to the police, the case dates back to the night of June 15-16, 2016, when Sahani, along with four associates, committed a dacoity at a farmhouse in the DLF Chattarpur area of Delhi. The group not only looted valuable items at gunpoint but also brutally murdered a 39-year-old man during the crime. The dacoits were apprehended while attempting to flee the scene, and an FIR was registered at the Mehrauli Police Station under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.

Following their arrest, all accused, including Sahani, were sent to judicial custody. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, Sahani was granted interim bail.

Instead of surrendering after the bail period expired, Sahani absconded, leading the court to declare him a proclaimed offender on December 5, 2022. The arrest operation was led by a team from the Anti-Robbery and Snatching Cell (ARSC) of the Crime Branch, under the supervision of ACP Arvind Kumar.

The team, comprising Sub-Inspector Nitin Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector Baljeet Singh, and Head Constables Gaurav Chaudhary, Sawai Singh, and Ankit, was tasked with tracking down proclaimed offenders involved in heinous crimes.

Through a combination of technical surveillance and manual intelligence, they received a tip-off about Sahani’s whereabouts in the outskirts of Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

Sahani evaded capture by frequently changing his mobile numbers, appearance, and addresses. The police team deployed informers and developed local sources in Muzaffarpur, waiting for the right opportunity.

They received a tip that Sahani would be on NH 57 near Sitamarhi, Bihar, and swiftly apprehended him. During interrogation, Sahani confessed to his role in the 2016 dacoity-murder case. After securing interim bail, he abandoned his Bihar residence and lived in a jhuggi in Muzaffarpur, working as a commercial driver to avoid detection.