Vadodara, Dec 4 (IANS): The Vadodara Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) said on Monday that it has arrested a fugitive who had managed to escape police custody after being arrested on charges of impersonating an official from the Gujarat Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

Viraj Patel, the accused, was first apprehended in April on charges related to posing as an CMO official and sexually assaulting a Mumbai-based woman. His daring escape took place during a court appearance in Vadodara in November, throwing the authorities into a tizzy.

Officials revealed that Patel, who had previously been incarcerated in the Vadodara Central Jail, travelled through multiple states with his sights set on escaping the country.

His journey led him through Tripura, Assam and eventually Mizoram, where he sought refuge and aimed to make his escape abroad.

The Crime Branch analysed information based on human intelligence, technical sources, and CCTV footage. The police kept a watch on the persons associated with the accused.

It was learnt that Patel first escaped to Ahmedabad and thereafter to Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Assam, Tripura and Mizoram, from where he planned to escape abroad.

The Crime Branch learnt that the accused was hiding in various addresses in Tripura, Assam and Mizoram. Patel was nabbed from near the Mizoram-Assam border and has been escorted to Vadodara.