Jaipur, March 21 (IANS) In a major breakthrough, the Crime Branch of the Rajasthan Police CID has arrested a notorious criminal carrying a cash reward of Rs 50,000, who had been on the run for nearly four years.
Acting under the direction of Additional Director General of Police (Crime) Bipin Kumar Pandey, a special team conducted a high-risk interstate operation that led to the arrest of Mahesh Dilip Dahle (alias ‘Chachaji’ or ‘Sardarji’) in Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra.
The accused faces multiple serious charges, including firing at a police team, attempted murder, and violations under the Arms Act. A dedicated team — formed under the supervision of Inspector General of Police (Crime) Harendra Kumar Mahawar and led by Sub-Inspector Shailendra Kumar — was initially deployed in the Jodhpur and Phalodi regions to gather intelligence.
During the operation, Head Constable Ravindra Singh received credible inputs indicating that Dahle, a “Most Wanted” criminal from the Phalodi police station area, had been concealing his identity while moving across cities in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
After technical verification of the inputs, the team launched a coordinated operation across both states.
Maintaining round-the-clock surveillance and conducting extensive reconnaissance, the police tracked the accused’s movements and strategically laid a trap. In coordination with IG (Jodhpur Range) Satyendra Singh, a team from Phalodi District Police joined the operation.
On reaching Tapovan Road in Ahilyanagar, the team identified a suspect matching the informant’s description. Sensing police presence, the accused attempted to flee. However, displaying swift action and courage, the police personnel chased him on foot and successfully apprehended him.
Initially, Dahle tried to mislead the police, but during sustained interrogation, he confessed his identity. He is a resident of Barwani district in Madhya Pradesh.
The case dates back to April 2022, when Phalodi police received intelligence about illegal arms being transported in an unmarked pickup vehicle. Acting on the tip-off, the police set up a blockade. In response, the accused and his associates opened indiscriminate fire on the police team and rammed their vehicle into a patrol car with the intent to kill.
During the encounter, police managed to arrest two accused on the spot and recovered three pistols and 14 cartridges. However, Dahle managed to escape and had been absconding since then. The operation was executed under Sub-Inspector Shailendra Sharma. Head Constables Ravindra Singh and Kuldeep Singh, along with Constable Naresh Kumar, played key roles in field operations.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Shankar Dayal Sharma and Constable Brajesh Kumar Sharma provided the technical support.
From the Phalodi Police team, ASI Peeraram and DST members — Head Constable Gordhanram, Constable Mahendra Kumar, and Constable Bhagwanaram — also contributed significantly to the arrest. The accused has been handed over to the Phalodi Police for further legal proceedings.
–IANS
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