Gujarat Police arrest 1997 gang rape convict from UP after 10-year parole abscondment
Synopsis
A convict sentenced for a 1997 gang rape and robbery near Ahmedabad had been living freely in Uttar Pradesh for nearly a decade after jumping parole — until Gujarat Police's cross-state Operation Karavas-2 tracked him down using human intelligence and technical surveillance. His arrest underscores how inter-state coordination is closing gaps that once let parole violators disappear for years.
Key Takeaways
Sarfaddin Suleman Fakir , convicted in a 1997 gang rape and robbery case, was arrested from Hathras, Uttar Pradesh on 21 June .
He had been absconding for nearly 10 years after violating parole conditions.
The arrest was part of Operation Karavas-2 , a statewide Gujarat drive running from 8 to 21 June under DGP G.S.
The original offence, registered at Aslali Police Station , dates to 11 February 1997 and involved robbery and gang rape near Bareja village, Ahmedabad Rural .
Fakir has been sent to Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad to serve the remainder of his sentence.
A man convicted in a 1997 robbery and gang rape case has been arrested from Uttar Pradesh after evading authorities for nearly 10 years following a parole violation, Gujarat Police announced on Sunday, 21 June. The arrest was carried out under Operation Karavas-2, a statewide drive targeting parole and furlough absconders.
The Arrest and Operation
The accused, identified as Sarfaddin Suleman Fakir, a resident of Islamnagar in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended by the Ahmedabad Rural Local Crime Branch (LCB) and the Parole Furlough Squad. The operation ran from 8 June to 21 June under the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik.
Senior officers including Inspector General of Police (Ahmedabad Range) Raghvendra Vats and Ahmedabad Rural Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jat had directed district teams to identify and detain absconding convicts. A team led by Police Sub-Inspector P.G. Baraiya traced Fakir using human intelligence and technical surveillance before apprehending him in Uttar Pradesh.
The Original Crime
According to case records, the offence was registered at Aslali Police Station in Ahmedabad Rural and dates to 11 February 1997. Fakir and his accomplices allegedly entered an area near Bareja village at night, confined the complainant's husband and children in a room, and sexually assaulted the woman. The accused were also convicted of robbing her of gold and silver ornaments and cash. A court subsequently found the charges proved and sentenced those involved.
A Decade on the Run
Fakir had been serving his sentence before jumping parole and remaining at large for approximately 10 years. Investigators received specific intelligence that he had returned to his native village of Islamnagar, prompting the targeted cross-state operation. This is the kind of long-gap abscondment that Operation Karavas-2 was specifically designed to address — tracking convicts who exploit parole windows to disappear into their home states.
What Happens Next
Following his arrest, Fakir was brought back to Gujarat and lodged at Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad to serve the remainder of his sentence. The operation signals a broader push by Gujarat's law enforcement to close outstanding cases of parole violations across state lines.
Point of View
But a decade-long abscondment in a serious crime case raises harder questions about why the system took this long. The use of human intelligence alongside technical surveillance suggests improving capability; the 10-year gap suggests it arrived late. Gujarat's push is welcome, but the national picture on parole violation tracking remains patchy.
NationPress
21 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested under Operation Karavas-2 in Gujarat?
Sarfaddin Suleman Fakir, a resident of Islamnagar in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested. He was convicted in a 1997 gang rape and robbery case registered at Aslali Police Station in Ahmedabad Rural and had been absconding for nearly 10 years after jumping parole.
What is Operation Karavas-2?
Operation Karavas-2 is a statewide Gujarat Police drive launched to trace and arrest parole and furlough absconders. It ran from 8 June to 21 June under the directions of Director General of Police G.S. Malik, with teams deployed across districts.
What was the original crime Sarfaddin Suleman Fakir was convicted of?
Fakir was convicted in connection with a robbery and gang rape case dating to 11 February 1997. He and his accomplices allegedly confined a complainant's husband and children and sexually assaulted the woman, also robbing her of gold, silver ornaments, and cash near Bareja village in Ahmedabad Rural.
Where is the accused now?
Following his arrest in Uttar Pradesh, Fakir was brought back to Gujarat and lodged at Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad to serve the remainder of his sentence.
How did Gujarat Police trace the absconder after 10 years?
Investigators received specific intelligence that Fakir was living in his native village of Islamnagar in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. A team led by Police Sub-Inspector P.G. Baraiya then conducted a targeted operation using human intelligence and technical surveillance to apprehend him.
