Tarun Jinraj, the prime suspect accused of strangling his wife Sajni to death on Valentine’s Day in the Bhopal area of Ahmedabad exactly twenty years ago, has been arrested once again. Tarun had successfully evaded the law for two decades, but his recent attempt to escape the clutches of justice led to his capture in Delhi.
During his years on the run, Tarun alias Sonu Jinraj killed his first wife, Sajni Nair, and assumed a new identity as Praveen Satyanarayan Bhatel. He spent 15 years living in hiding, married another woman in Bangalore, and fathered two children.
In his quest to evade capture, Tarun moved to Delhi, where he assumed yet another false identity as Justin Katwil Joseph, living in a rented accommodation. An Aadhaar card in the name of Justin Katwil Joseph was found in his possession during the arrest. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities believe he may have relocated to other states during his time on the run. It is suspected that he had formulated a plan to leave India before his capture.
The gruesome murder of Sajani in 2003 was committed in an attempt to please his girlfriend, Tarun Jinraj strangled her with a dupatta and then developed a false story, claiming that intruders had entered their home with robbery intentions. At the time, the police had suspected Tarun, but he managed to escape their grasp, only to be caught 15 years later.
This murder case had remained unsolved for years until a complaint was filed at Sarkhej police station. The accused, Tarun alias Sonu Jinraj, had been on the run since 2003 until his arrest in 2018. In 2018, the Crime Branch of Ahmedabad city arrested him in Bangalore, and he was subsequently sent to Sabarmati Jail by the court. However, Tarun was recently granted interim bail by the Gujarat High Court from August 4 to August 19. Shockingly, he failed to return to Sabarmati Jail within the stipulated time frame.
Following this development, the Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner and Additional Police Commissioner, Crime Branch, recommended efforts to trace him through the Cyber Crime Branch. Using information and behavioural analysis, the cybercrime team managed to locate the fugitive in Delhi. Acting under the guidance of ACP Jitendra Yadav, PI Bhuwa and their team, Tarun Jinraj was arrested.
ACP Jitendra Yadav and his team realised that Tarun might attempt to contact his mother, the one person he was emotionally attached to. Based on this, the police arrested him when he tried to reach out to her.
Tarun made numerous bail applications over the years, all of which were rejected. However, he finally obtained interim bail on August 4, ostensibly to care for his ailing mother, only to abscond once more. Additionally, the police have identified two local individuals who may have aided him in his escape.
Also Read: Dahaad Type of Crime Solved by DCP Ajit & Cyber Crime team in Gujarat
