Gujarat Police nabs 190 accused in 24-hour crackdown, including fugitives absconding for over two decades

Ahmedabad, July 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Ahmedabad City Police arrested 190 accused during a 24-hour special operation across Zone 7 ahead of the annual Rath Yatra, including two men who had been wanted for 21 years and 20 years respectively, as part of an intensified drive to strengthen law and order before the festival.

The operation, titled 'Operation Clean Sweep 2.0', was carried out from 8 a.m. on July 5 to July 6 across the eight police stations under Zone 7 following a special action plan prepared by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 7) Shivam Verma.

According to police, a total of 341 officers and personnel, including eight Police Inspectors, 37 Police Sub-Inspectors and 261 police personnel, were deployed in 43 teams.

The teams targeted absconding accused, offenders wanted under Non-Bailable Warrants, externed offenders, jail absconders, prohibition offenders and drunk drivers.

Separate teams also tracked wanted suspects believed to be outside Ahmedabad and in other states using human Intelligence and technical surveillance.

Of the 190 people arrested, 83 were absconding accused wanted in ongoing investigations, five were externed offenders, 54 were wanted under Non-Bailable Warrants, 11 were booked under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act for drunk driving and 28 were arrested in prohibition cases.

Police said 22 of those arrested had been absconding for more than a year. Among the long-pending arrests was a man wanted since 2005 by Satellite Police Station in a counterfeit currency case, who was arrested by the Zone Local Crime Branch after remaining at large for 21 years.

Another accused, wanted by Vejalpur Police Station in a 2006 theft case, was arrested after allegedly evading arrest for 20 years. Police said he was traced to Uttar Pradesh.

The police also said one accused linked to a house-breaking case had remained wanted for more than 10 years and had been presumed dead.

Three others had been absconding for more than three years in cases involving cheating, offences against the human body and house-breaking, while another 17 had been evading arrest for more than a year in cases including cheating, gambling, prohibition offences, house-breaking, offences against the human body, crimes against women, temple theft and forged documents.

As part of the operation, investigators prepared lists of absconding accused and long-pending offenders from the past five years, executed raids based on human Intelligence and technical inputs, and intensified surveillance on suspects wanted by courts and in ongoing investigations.

Police also acted against persons accused of violating externment orders, failing to surrender after parole, furlough or interim bail, and those with pending PASA warrants. Special efforts were also made to trace accused outside Ahmedabad.

Police examined case diaries and gathered information about suspects, co-accused and their associates before conducting operations across Ahmedabad city and rural areas, Rajkot, Kutch, Junagadh, Mehsana, Gandhinagar and Banaskantha, as well as in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Vehicle checks using breath analysers were conducted at entry and exit points and other sensitive locations, while raids were carried out against suspected bootlegging networks based on Intelligence inputs.

DCP Shivam Verma said the operation was launched because police remained on heightened alert ahead of the Rath Yatra.

"Under the guidance of Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut, and in view of the ongoing Rath Yatra, the police are on high alert. As part of this, Zone 7 Police, comprising eight police stations, launched Operation Clean Sweep 2.0. Under the operation, we apprehended a total of 190 accused," Verma said.

Police said similar operations against wanted criminals and anti-social elements will continue in the run-up to major public events to maintain public order and safety.

Source: IANS