After a relentless three-year manhunt, Vinoba Bhave Nagar police arrested Naushad Israr Ahmed (22), who had been absconding for sexual assault on a minor girl. Ahmed was located and taken into custody in Vadodara, Gujarat.
Since the case registration, Ahmed had changed his appearance multiple times, used fake names, and switched between 65 SIM cards from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh to avoid capture.
A Surat resident, Ahmed worked as an auto-rickshaw driver in Kurla West, Mumbai. He is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student within the Vinoba Bhave Nagar jurisdiction after luring her into his rickshaw.
The police registered a case on July 18, 2022, charging him under IPC sections 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage modesty), and Sections 4, 8, and 12 of the POCSO Act.
Ahmed fled Mumbai immediately after the case was filed, living across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh while frequently altering his identity. Using 65 SIM cards and changing phones regularly, he evaded authorities for years.
The police finally traced him to Vadodara, where he worked as a truck driver for Safe Express Courier Godown, operating vehicle number GJ 01 JT 5209. Following a tip-off, officers swiftly arrested him.