A notorious criminal from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, who had been on the run for nearly two decades, has finally been arrested. Abid Ali, also known as Raju Irani and 'Rehman Dakait', was caught by the Surat Crime Branch during a covert operation in Gujarat's Surat on Friday. The arrest took place in the Lalgate area and was carried out without firing a single shot, marking the end of a 20-year manhunt that spanned 14 states.
Arrest after years on the run
Police sources said the accused had narrowly escaped arrest last month by taking advantage of the chaos caused by stone pelting. He later took shelter at his brother-in-law's house in Surat. This time, he changed his identity and began using the name 'Rehman Dakait,' reportedly inspired by a character from an Akshaye Khanna film. Despite the disguise, police tracked him through secret inputs and arrested him on Friday. Investigators said he was allegedly planning another major crime at the time of his arrest.
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A criminal empire across states
Known as the leader of the 'Irani Dera' gang, Raju Irani had built a wide criminal network over the past 20 years across states such as Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal, and Maharashtra. He lived a lavish life, buying expensive cars, sports bikes, and even keeping Arabian horses with money gained from crimes.
His gang followed unusual methods to commit robberies. Members often posed as CBI officers, police personnel, saints, or astrologers to deceive people. They also carried out robberies by setting up fake police checkpoints on highways. Police said that Raju frequently changed his identity and documents to avoid arrest.
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Surat Crime Branch DCP Bhavesh Roziya said that the arrest could help solve several old and unsolved cases. He added that questioning the accused may reveal details about his gang members spread across the country. The arrest is being seen as a major success for the Surat police and law enforcement agencies nationwide.
