Owner of fake call centre falls from fifth floor while evading cops

Acting on a tip-off, the Thane unit of the ATS raided a flat to bust the illegal call centre on Saturday around 7pm

Mumbai: An owner of a fake call centre in Bhiwandi’s Bhoiwada area died after falling from the fifth floor while trying to evade the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Maharashtra. The victim has been identified as Ansari Mohammad Azam Akthar, 34.

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Acting on a tip-off, the Thane unit of the ATS raided a flat to bust the illegal call centre on Saturday around 7pm.

“We had information that an illegal telephone exchange was running from a building from the fifth floor of an isolated flat. When we knocked on the door, Akhtar may have seen us from the keyhole and started throwing the gadgets out of the window. Later he also tried to climb down the pipe and escape. However, the pipe broke and he fell to his death,” said a police officer from Maharashtra ATS.

He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital by locals but was declared dead on admission.

The officer added that they have seized 140 SIM cards and a Wi-Fi router from the flat.

“An accidental death report has been lodged in connection to Akhtar’s death,” said DCP Navnath Dhavle, Bhiwandi. “Further investigation is underway. The police have detained several people and are also likely to question the owner of the flat.”