After nearly two decades of evading law enforcement, Abid Ali alias Raju alias “Rahman Dacoit”, the alleged mastermind of a notorious multi-state criminal network operating from the infamous Irani Dera in the Indian city of Bhopal, has finally been arrested.
According to Indian media, the Surat Crime Branch quietly apprehended the gangster two days ago during a covert intelligence-led operation in the Lal Gate area, without firing a single shot.
His arrest brought an end to years of fear and speculation surrounding his name, which had long circulated in police files as a whispered threat across state borders.
Police said the arrest followed intelligence inputs suggesting that Raju Irani had fled Bhopal after a high-risk police raid at his hideout in Aman Colony and had taken shelter in Surat, where he was allegedly planning a major crime.
Acting swiftly, the crime branch laid a trap and detained him.
Investigators revealed that Raju Irani operated an extensive network of gangs active in at least 14 Indian states, involved in crimes ranging from dacoity, fraud, extortion, forgery, and arson to attempted murder.
Several cases have also been registered against him under Maharashtra’s stringent MCOCA law.
One of the most dangerous aspects of the gang, police said, was its use of disguises.
Raju Irani and his associates frequently posed as CBI officers, uniformed police personnel, sales tax and customs officials, and even religious ascetics to exploit public trust — particularly targeting elderly citizens in rural and semi-urban areas.
Officials noted that the gang’s modus operandi closely resembled the plot of the Bollywood film Special 26, carrying out fake raids and well-planned frauds with predetermined escape routes.
Despite multiple arrests of gang members over the years, police said the accused maintained strict silence about their network’s structure, making investigations difficult.
On Sunday, Nishatpura police brought Raju Irani to Bhopal on a production warrant.
He was presented before a court, which remanded him into police custody until January 17 for further investigation.