Shajapur Police Nab Habitual Offender After 3-Month Manhunt
After a three-month manhunt, Shajapur Police have captured Ravindra Gurjar, a habitual offender wanted for extortion and SC/ST Act violations.
In a significant breakthrough, the Berchha Police in Madhya Pradesh's Shajapur district have successfully apprehended a habitual criminal who had been evading capture for three months. The suspect, identified as Ravindra Gurjar, was the primary accused in a violent extortion and caste-based harassment case.
The Incident: A Violent Demand for Money
The legal turmoil began on June 24, 2026, when Omprakash Panwar, a resident of Kulmankhedi village, approached the Berchha Police Station to file a formal complaint. According to Panwar, the incident occurred around 6:00 PM at his shop.
Panwar alleged that Ravindra Gurjar, accompanied by five other individuals—Shailendra Gurjar, Anil Astey, Omprakash, Sachin, and Dharam (also known as Dharmendra Gurjar)—stormed into his establishment. The group demanded money specifically to purchase alcohol. When Panwar refused to comply with their demands, the situation turned violent.
The complainant stated that the group subjected him to a barrage of obscene language and caste-based slurs. The verbal abuse quickly escalated into a physical assault, with the suspects issuing death threats against him.
Legal Action and the Manhunt
Following the complaint, the Berchha Police registered Case No. 132/2026. The accused were booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections 119(1), 115(2), 296, 351(3), and 125, along with 3(5) of the BNS and strict provisions of the SC/ST Act.
While the police managed to arrest the five accomplices shortly after the crime, the main suspect, Ravindra Gurjar—son of Nirbhaysingh Gurjar and a resident of Bhilsami village—managed to slip through their fingers. Given his history as a habitual offender and his tactical movement between different locations to avoid the law, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Shajapur had previously announced a cash reward for information leading to his arrest.
The Final Capture
The operation to bring Gurjar to justice was carried out under the strategic guidance of SP Priyanka Shukla, with directions from Additional SP Mahendra Tarnekar and SDOP Dr. Nagendra Pratap Singh. A specialized team was formed under the leadership of Berchha Station House Officer, Sub-Inspector Arvind Singh Tomar.
After weeks of intelligence gathering and tracking, the police team finally cornered the fugitive. On October 23, 2026, Ravindra Gurjar was intercepted and arrested in the dense terrain of the Bhilsami forest.
The accused has now been taken into custody and is being presented before the court for further legal proceedings.