Daijiworld Media Network – Delhi

Delhi, Oct 1: In a major breakthrough, Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has apprehended Gautam Yadav, a fugitive wanted for a violent daylight robbery in Kirti Nagar in 2013, ending a 12-year-long manhunt.

Yadav, 32, from Jamui district, Bihar, had been declared a Proclaimed Offender, with a Rs 20,000 reward announced for information leading to his capture. The case traces back to March 8, 2013, when a woman in Kirti Nagar reported that her servant, Gautam Yadav, along with three accomplices, had forcibly entered her home, tied and gagged her, and stolen gold jewellery, including bangles, a chain with a locket, and a ring. The incident had shocked the local community.

While two accomplices, Suraj Yadav and Suresh Yadav, were arrested soon after, Gautam Yadav managed to evade law enforcement for over a decade, constantly changing locations across Chennai, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, and taking up odd jobs, including working as an e-rickshaw driver.

A special Crime Branch team, led by Inspector Mahipal under ACP Satendra Mohan and DCP Harsh Indora, tracked Yadav to Gangeshwar Nagar, Jaipur. He was arrested on September 30 after a meticulously planned operation.

“The operation is a testimony to the untiring efforts, patience, and sharp field craft of the Crime Branch team, which ensured the arrest of a wanted criminal who had remained untraceable for more than a decade,” said DCP Indora.

During interrogation, Yadav admitted his involvement in the robbery, assisting the gang in entering the house, tying and gagging the victim, and looting the valuables.

Originally from Village Kharik in Jamui, Bihar, Yadav, who is uneducated, reportedly turned to crime early in his life and became associated with known offenders in Delhi.

This arrest brings closure to a long-pursued case that had remained unresolved for more than a decade.