The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on Friday apprehended 55-year-old Bhanu Pratap, a “Proclaimed Offender”, in connection with a case of sexual assault and robbery dating back to December 2019.

The arrest was made from Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.

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On December 2, 2019, a woman registered a complaint against an auto driver for sexual misconduct after she hired his auto-rickshaw from Kashmere Gate.

The complainant told the police that the driver, who was later identified as Bhanu Pratap, stopped the vehicle midway and sexually assaulted and robbed her of a mobile phone and Rs 1,000 in cash.

The victim managed to escape with the help of a passerby who then called the police. An FIR was subsequently registered at the Mukherjee Nagar police station.

The police said Bhanu Pratap was arrested soon after the registration of the FIR, but was granted interim bail during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he did not surrender to the police after his bail period ended and remained at large, evading arrest for several years.

On November 4, 2023, he was declared “Proclaimed Offender” by the court.

Acting on a tipoff, a specialised team arrested the accused from the Ulwe area of Navi Mumbai. The team utilised technical surveillance and deployed informants to track down the accused, eventually locating and arresting him in Navi Mumbai.