Man on run in Surat murder case held in Pune after 15 years

A man wanted in a 2004 Surat murder case, was arrested from Pune after being on the run for 15 years, Mumbai police said on Wednesday.

According to police, Vikrant Patel, who is in his late twenties, was held on Tuesday night.

Patel was allegedly part of a six-member gang that had murdered a person in Surat in 2004. While five of the accused were arrested soon after the incident, Patel had gone absconding since then, police said.

Police stumbled upon Patel during their efforts to nab a convict in the case, who has jumped parole.

"On January 1, 2004, six men posing as staff of a gas company, had stormed into a bungalow in Surat and looted gold jewellery. In the process, the accused killed one of the members of the family and seriously injured others," an official said.

"After this, five of the six accused were arrested. A court in Surat had awarded death sentence to one of them, while four others were given life term," he added.

According to the official, an accused serving a life term was granted parole, but he did not return to jail.

The Surat police had sought help from the police across the country, including Mumbai police's crime branch, to track down the convict, who had jumped parole.

"After being approached by Surat police, we started looking for him. We recieved information that he was staying with a man named Vikrant Patel in Pune," he said.

"The crime branch sleuths went to Pune and got hold of Patel on Tuesday night. During his interrogation, it came to light that he was one of the absonding accused in the same murder case," the official added.

Accordingly, the Surat police were informed and Patel was handed over to them.

"However, the accused who has jumped parole, is yet to be arrested," he said.