Monday, May 25, 2026
News

Ahmedabad Crime Branch detains death-row fugitive for the 1994 hotel murder case

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend    Print this Page   COMMENT

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) | May 25, 2026 1:24:11 PM IST
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has successfully traced and apprehended a high-profile death-row convict who had been missing for over a decade after jumping parole in 2013.

The individual was originally convicted for his involvement in a brutal 1994 homicide and robbery case at the Neelam Hotel in Ahmedabad. He had chopped off the head of the victim, who was a hotel guest and carried it in a bag till Adalaj, Gujarat.

The convict, identified as Satish Himmatlal Rupa Relia alias Bhikhu alias Sanjay Thakkar, was the primary accused in Sessions Case No. 56/1995. In April 2000, the Additional City Sessions Court of Ahmedabad sentenced him to death by hanging for murder, robbery, and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Bombay Police Act.

The conviction followed a meticulous investigation into the October 22, 1994, incident, where a textile merchant was lured to a local hotel under the pretext of a discounted trade transaction, robbed of cash and gold jewellery, and subsequently decapitated to prevent identification.

Following his conviction and subsequent incarceration, the individual was later granted temporary release on parole.

In 2013, the convict breached his legal conditions, failed to surrender to prison authorities, and went underground. For approximately 13 years, he actively evaded law enforcement agencies by shifting locations and adopting multiple false identities to blend into civilian populations.

Utilising advanced intelligence gathering, tactical surveillance, and rigorous groundwork, the specialised tracking team of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch successfully located the fugitive.

In a targeted operation, operational units closed in on his hideout and took him into custody without incident, effectively terminating his 13-year run from the law.

The apprehended convict has been processed and is being remanded back into judicial custody to face the execution of his original sentence, as determined by the courts. (ANI)

 
  LATEST COMMENTS ()
POST YOUR COMMENT
Comments Not Available
 
POST YOUR COMMENT
 
 
TRENDING TOPICS
 
 
CITY NEWS
MORE CITIES
 
 
INDIA WORLD ASIA
UP: Congress protest in Moradabad demand...
Fuel price hike 'difficult to avoid due ...
Congress stages protest in Shimla over r...
NEET UG paper leak case: CBI court exten...
Namo Van: Million trees transform Gujara...
'Horse-trading at horse-speed': Former T...
More...    
 
 Top Stories
"Technically strong, mentally tough... 
Environment Minister Manjinder Sing... 
"Not here to defend, here to attack... 
Karnataka CM Siddaramiah, DK Shivak... 
Akshay and Vicky strike gold in Fre... 
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay permits all the... 
Assam leadership extends grand welc... 
Fuel hikes driven by OMCs, govt too...