Mumbai: 24-year-old rape accused who escaped from custody in 2019 arrested from West Bengal

A 24-year-old rape accused, who had escaped from police custody in 2019, was arrested by Colaba police from a village in West Bengal, on Monday.

A 24-year-old rape accused, who had escaped from police custody in 2019, was arrested by Colaba police from a village in West Bengal, on Monday.

Representational picture.

Colaba police officers who got an intelligence input stating the accused was planning to escape to Bangladesh, stayed in the village disguised as locals for four days before arresting the accused.

Shivaji Fadtare, a senior police inspector, said that the accused Mohammed Badshah Salim Shaikh was arrested by the Antop Hill police for raping a minor girl and was charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children against Sexual Offenses Act (Pocso). Shaikh, however, had escaped from the court premises in February 2019, as he was being produced before it, following which a case was registered at Colaba police station.

After the high court order of arresting all absconding accused, the Colaba police initiated contact with police officers of Pandua town of Hooghly district in West Bengal, but could not find Shaikh in his village.

In November 2020, police officers received information that Shaikh had gone to his village to meet his relatives. “A team of officers left from West Bengal immediately, but before they could reach his house, Shaikh’s relatives helped him escape,” said a police officer. The team of officers then stayed in Shaikh’s neighbourhood disguised as locals, waiting for Shaikh to show up.

On Sunday, the police officers learnt that Shaikh was returning to his house to take some money to cross the border and to get to Bangladesh. “Our officers laid a trap near Shaikh’s house and arrested him when he went to his house,” said Fadtare. Shaikh will be produced before a court tomorrow.