Elusive rapist teacher nabbed by Delhi police

Accused of eloping with his students and raping them, Dhaval Trivedi had jumped parole and again eloped with a 19-year-old Chotila girl in 2018

The elusive teacher and sexual offender from Gujarat, who had eloped with several of his students and jumped parole, was finally nabbed by Delhi police.

Dhaval Trivedi, believed to have been giving the slip to police since long, was arrested by the Delhi Police from Himachal Pradesh based on inputs by the Central Bureau of Investigation. He was reportedly working in Himachal Pradesh as a watchman at a sanitary tiles manufacturing company under the guise of a Sikh. He had last eloped with a 19-year-old student from Chotila who had a disagreement with him over changing places frequently and had returned home.

Dhaval Trivedi worked at tuition classes in different cities of Gujarat and is believed to have trapped several girl students, some of them minors, and raped them.

Trivedi was arrested two years ago for rape of minor students by the Rajkot police under the POCSO Act and was sent to judicial custody. He later got bail and while on parole Trivedi had started English speaking classes. As a teacher, he came in contact with a 19-year-old from Chotila and eloped with her.

The student's father had filed a complaint with the Chotila police. While the police had made attempts to track down Trivedi, he proved to be elusive and the father had finally approached Gujarat High Court.

The Gujarat High Court handed over the case to the CBI. A solid lead emerged in the case when the girl with whom Dhaval Trivedi had eloped called her father. The CBI through technical analysis traced the call to Uttar Pradesh and immediately rushed a team there. But Dhaval Trivedi proved to be slippery once again. He had left the place for Bihar with the girl before the CBI reached there.

Thereafter, the CBI sent Dhaval Trivedi's photo to police of all the states of India. Information was also sent to the school boards, central school board and UGC in every state.

To evade arrest, Dhaval Trivedi changed his residence every 15 days. This had been the reason for fall out between the student and Dhaval, forcing him to leave her in Bihar and flee.

The fall out reportedly happened at the time of lockdown and the student found it difficult to seek help. When it relaxed, she sought help from a youth in Chotila, who accompanied her to her parent's house there.

It was Delhi police who got information that Dhaval Trivedi was in Himachal Pradesh and was working there as a watchman in a company manufacturing tiles. He is likely to be brought to Ahmedabad in a couple of days.