Gujarat Police nab 60-year-old MP man wanted in 1996 Vapi robbery after 31 years
Synopsis
A 1996 robbery file, cold for three decades, has finally moved. Gujarat's Valsad LCB tracked a 60-year-old accused across districts where he blended in as a farm labourer, before nabbing him in a Rajkot village — a rare closure in a case where seven co-accused were arrested long ago.
Key Takeaways
Pratap Bhuriya , 60, was arrested after 31 years on the run in a 1996 Vapi robbery case.
He was traced to Khatli village in Rajkot district by the Valsad District Local Crime Branch .
The original case, from 27 November 1996 , was booked under IPC Sections 392 and 395 .
Seven co-accused were arrested earlier; Pratap was one of two who remained absconding.
The LCB team worked the case for around three months using informers and human intelligence.
Pratap, originally from Bokdiya village in Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh , had been working as a farm labourer.
Gujarat Police have arrested a 60-year-old man who had been on the run for 31 years in connection with a 1996 robbery case registered at Vapi Town Police Station, officials said on Sunday. The accused, identified as Pratap Bhuriya, was traced to Khatli village in Rajkot district and picked up by the Valsad District Local Crime Branch (LCB).
The 1996 case
According to police, the case dates back to the night of 27 November 1996, when four unidentified men allegedly entered a complainant's house in Chhiri Kadiya Faliya of Vapi. The intruders reportedly threatened the complainant and witnesses with wooden sticks and knives before fleeing with cash and gold jewellery taken from the house and the complainant's shop.
Pratap was booked under Sections 392 and 395 of the Indian Penal Code. Seven of the accused were arrested during the original investigation, while two remained wanted for decades.
How the trail was picked up
Police said Pratap had spent years working as an agricultural labourer across different districts of Gujarat, frequently shifting his place of residence to avoid detection. The fresh push to trace him was launched on the instructions of senior officials, combining technical analysis with human intelligence and information gathered from previously arrested co-accused.
A key breakthrough came when Assistant Police Constable Pankaj Rupabhai of the Parole-Furlough Squad received a tip that Pratap was working in the Khatli area of Jamkandorna in Rajkot district.
Three months of ground work
The LCB team, led by Police Sub-Inspector J.B. Dhanesha, had been working the case for nearly three months, according to police. Team members reportedly stayed in Khatli, cultivated local informers and made inquiries in disguise before zeroing in on their target.
Pratap was eventually traced to the farm of Hareshbhai Vekariya and arrested. Police said he is originally from Bokdiya village in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh and was living at the Khatli farm at the time of his arrest.
What happens next
The accused has been handed over to Vapi Town Police Station for further legal proceedings and investigation. Officials indicated that questioning could shed light on the whereabouts of the other long-absconding accused in the case.
The arrest comes amid a wider push by Gujarat Police to close out long-pending files involving wanted accused, several of whom have evaded capture for decades by blending into rural labour networks.
Point of View
Boots-on-the-ground policing. Migrant farm-labour networks across Gujarat and neighbouring states have long offered cover to accused who simply need to disappear into a village. The case also underscores an uncomfortable truth: seven co-accused were caught quickly in 1996, but two men managed to stay off the grid for a generation — raising fair questions about how long-pending warrants are tracked between state police forces.
NationPress
24 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in the 1996 Vapi robbery case?
Gujarat Police arrested Pratap Bhuriya, a 60-year-old man originally from Bokdiya village in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. He had been absconding for 31 years in a robbery case registered at Vapi Town Police Station.
What was the 1996 Vapi robbery case about?
On the night of 27 November 1996, four unidentified men allegedly entered a house in Chhiri Kadiya Faliya of Vapi, threatened the occupants with sticks and knives, and fled with cash and gold jewellery from the house and the complainant's shop. The case was booked under IPC Sections 392 and 395.
How did the police finally trace the accused?
The Valsad District Local Crime Branch worked the case for around three months, combining technical analysis with information from previously arrested co-accused. A tip received by Assistant Police Constable Pankaj Rupabhai led the team to Khatli village in Rajkot, where Pratap was working as an agricultural labourer.
What happens to the accused now?
Pratap Bhuriya has been handed over to Vapi Town Police Station for further legal proceedings and investigation. Police are expected to question him about his movements over the past three decades and the whereabouts of the other absconding accused.
