The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested Dinesh Desai, a 54-year-old man who spent 24 years on the run after allegedly conspiring to murder Dalaram Nai in 2002, tracing him to the Vejalpur area of Ahmedabad where he had been living under a concealed identity. The accused was wanted in connection with a case registered at Sadri Police Station in Pali district, Rajasthan.

How the Murder Was Carried Out

According to the Crime Branch, the killing was rooted in a dispute over ancestral property and business between two relatives. Desai and three other persons allegedly travelled from Ahmedabad to Pali in a four-wheeler and intentionally rammed a Tata Sumo into the motorcycle on which Dalaram Nai was riding near Berra Tilawani at Sharad Dungli. The victim died from the impact. In an apparent bid to disguise the killing as an accident, the accused reportedly abandoned the vehicle at the scene and fled.

Two Decades of Evasion

Following the incident, Desai initially returned to his native Kankrej in Banaskantha district. After police visited his residence, he fled to Ahmedabad, where he worked as a labourer in the Satej area while concealing his identity. He subsequently relocated to Vejalpur, moving through approximately five to six houses before settling with his family at Sagar Samrat Apartment on Radio Mirchi Road. Investigators used a combination of human intelligence and technical surveillance to establish his identity and pin down his current location.

What Crime Branch Inspector Said

Crime Branch Inspector A.P. Jebaliya confirmed the arrest, noting that the unit had been systematically pursuing accused persons wanted in long-pending cases both within Gujarat and outside the state. 'During this, our PSI A.B. Desai received information that Dungli village falls within the jurisdiction of Sadri Police Station in Pali district of Rajasthan. A murder had taken place there in 2002, and the accused in that case was residing in Vejalpur, Ahmedabad,' Jebaliya said. He added that one of the three previously arrested accused, Ramesh Nai, was a relative of Desai and was allegedly at the centre of the property dispute that preceded the killing.

Charges and Next Steps

The case was registered under Sections 302, 120(B), 481, and 308 of the Indian Penal Code. Three other accused in the case had already been arrested earlier. The Crime Branch said its further investigation will focus on identifying the places where Desai stayed during his two decades of absconding and whether any individuals assisted him in concealing his identity. 'We will now carry out further investigation into where this accused had been hiding and who had helped him. We will hand him over to the Rajasthan Police,' Jebaliya said. Desai is expected to be transferred to Rajasthan Police custody once local procedural formalities are completed.