Chhota Rajan aide, on the run for 22 years, held in Nalla Sopara

The city crime branch on Wednesday arrested gangster Chhota Rajan’s close aide, Amar Baburao Wagh, who had been absconding for 22 years, in a 1993 dacoity case. The police suspect Wagh is also involved in other murder and extortion cases.

According to the police, Wagh was arrested in a dacoity case registered at Samta Nagar police station in 1993 and released on bail in 1997. He disappeared soon after and was later declared a proclaimed offender by the court in the same year.

Police said that to avoid arrest, Wagh converted to Islam after marrying a Muslim woman in 1997. He assumed a new identity as Yasin Mohammed Khan, and a new look, but continued to reside in Nallasopara. Akbar Pathan, DCP (detection), said that some officers attached to unit-8 of the crime branch recently got a tip-off regarding Wagh. “We worked for at least two months on the information and managed to collect his details before arresting him,” said Pathan.

The crime branch first recovered the affidavit which he had filed to change his name and his marriage certificate. Both documents stated his original name.

According Ajay Joshi, senior inspector, unit-8, after several rounds of verification, the police picked him from his house in Nallasopara. Joshi said that initially Wagh behaved as if he was not the one the police were looking for, but confessed to the crime after he was shown the documents. “During questioning, he said he had destroyed all records pertaining to his previous identity,” Joshi said, adding, “We found Aadhar card, PAN card and driving licence in his new name. Now, he has been handed over to the Samta Nagar police station for further investigation.”