New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI): Delhi Police have arrested a Rs 20,000 rewardee and proclaimed offender who had been evading capture for 14 years in connection with a 2012 robbery-cum-abduction case in Dwarka South, officials said Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Virkesh alias Birkesh alias Vicky (47), a native of Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended by a team of the Crime Branch's Central Range from Chandigarh, where he had been living under a false identity, they said.

According to the police, the case dates back to February 6, 2012, when a cab driver was intercepted by two unidentified men during duty in Dwarka South. The assailants overpowered him, robbed him of cash and a mobile phone, abducted him, and later threw him out before fleeing with his vehicle. A case under relevant sections of the IPC was registered at the time.

While one associate was arrested during the initial investigation, the main accused, Virkesh, managed to evade arrest for years and was later declared a proclaimed offender by a court. A reward of Rs 10,000 was initially announced for his arrest, which was subsequently enhanced to Rs 20,000 due to his prolonged absconding and the gravity of the offence.

Police said the case remained under active scrutiny, and a dedicated team was constituted under the supervision of an ACP of the Crime Branch to trace the accused. After months of sustained efforts, the team developed inputs suggesting his presence in Chandigarh.

Acting on the inputs, the team rushed to Chandigarh and carried out surveillance and local intelligence gathering. During verification, it was learned that the accused was working as a gas cylinder supplier. The police kept a watch on such workers in the area and eventually traced and apprehended him from Sector 26.

He had been posing as an Indane Gas supplier to conceal his identity and avoid detection, officials said.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that after the incident, he kept shifting locations from Uttar Pradesh to Haryana and later settled in Chandigarh. He frequently changed his mobile numbers and addresses to remain off the radar, they added.

Police said the accused is a habitual offender and has been involved in as many as 13 criminal cases, including robbery, burglary, theft, and cases under the Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act.

The arrest marks a significant success for the Crime Branch in tracking down long-absconding offenders, and the breakthrough was attributed to sustained technical surveillance and coordinated field operations, police added. PTI SGV BM MPL MPL

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