Murder convict arrested seven years after jumping furlough

Adopted numerous fake identities, was doing odd jobs in Mumbra

Back in cuffs: Officials of the Thane Police Crime Branch with the convict, Rafiq Sheikh, on Friday.

The Thane Police Crime Branch has arrested a murder convict who was wanted for seven years after jumping furlough.

According to Crime Branch officers, Rafiq Sheikh (45) was picked up from Mumbra on Thursday after police inspector Jayraj Ranaware, in charge of the Crime Branch Unit V, received a tip-off about his whereabouts.

“Our information indicated that Sheikh was wanted in a crime in Ratnagiri, and we accordingly picked him up for questioning. After sustained inquiries, he confessed that he had been convicted in a murder case in Ratnagiri and had later fled to Mumbra after securing furlough,” an officer said.

The officer said Sheikh was arrested in a murder case by the Ratnagiri City police station in February 2007. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. On January 23, 2012, Sheikh was released on furlough for 15 days. When he failed to report back to the Nashik Road Central Jail after the furlough period expired, the prison authorities informed the Ratnagiri City police and a separate offence was registered against him.

“Sheikh stayed in several other places in Maharashtra before settling down in Mumbra. Over the years, he adopted numerous fake identities and was doing odd jobs for a living,” the officer said.

The Thane Police have informed the Ratnagiri City police about Sheikh’s arrest and a team is expected to visit Thane soon to take him into custody. Apart from the 2007 murder case, Sheikh also has 21 other cases registered against him in Ratnagiri, with offences including attempt to murder, assault, robbery, kidnapping, burglary and drug peddling.

“Given the fact that Sheikh seems to be a habitual criminal, we are conducting inquiries to find out whether he has also committed any crimes in the Thane Police’s jurisdiction,” the officer said.