Rape accused from Chennai escapes from custody, arrested in Mumbai

He was rearrested a day after he escaped police custody from a hotel in Vile Parle, Mumbai.

A day after he escaped police custody, a 24-year-old man, a native of Tamil Nadu, was rearrested from Kala Ghoda on Friday for allegedly raping and murdering a minor and killing his mother in Chennai.

One of the police constables had cuffed one of Shekhar’s hand, and to ensure that he does not escape, had cuffed the other end to his hand. (File pic for representation)

A joint team of the Vile Parle police and their counterparts from Chennai arrested Tashwant Shekhar. While he was being taken to Chennai, he escaped when police officers were having lunch at a restaurant in a hotel in Vile Parle (East).

He was arrested for allegedly raping and killing a minor seven months ago in Chennai, but granted bail in October.

On December 2, he fled to Mumbai after killing his mother and robbing her of gold jewellery in Chennai. He had since been hiding near the Mahalaxmi Racecourse.

After the murder case was registered at Kudratoor police station in Kanchipuram, a police team — comprising one inspector, two sub-inspectors and two constables — from Chennai was dispatched to Mumbai. The Chennai and Mumbai police tracked him to Mahalaxmi on Wednesday evening. 

He was produced at Bandra court on Thursday morning, following which the Chennai police received a transit remand for three days.

Laxman Chavan, senior inspector, Vile Parle police station, said, “Since the police team had a late night flight to Chennai, they had booked a room at the hotel. One of the police constables had cuffed one of Shekhar’s hand, and to ensure that he does not escape, had cuffed the other end to his hand.”

“Around 4 pm, when the policemen ordered lunch, the constable uncuffed himself. It gave an opportunity to Shekhar to flee the hotel.”

They approached the Vile Parle police and registered a case against him.

According to Charles Thelladurai, police inspector in the Chennai team, they finally tracked him to Kala Ghoda.