Undertrial who fled from police custody nabbed

28-year-old escaped by bribing police

A 28-year-old undertrial at Taloja jail who fled after bribing police officials was nabbed by the Crime Branch after he tried to extort money from a corporator in Panvel.

Hanumant Sadashiv Patil alias Prem, arrested for abduction and murder of CIDCO official Atul Mhatre in 2013, escaped from police custody during a visit to JJ Hospital on February 11 by bribing the escort team with ₹40,000.

He then fled to Uttar Pradesh and stayed with relatives of his inmates at Taloja jail. Twelve police officials from the escort team were suspended after Patil escaped.

On July 24, an unidentified man visited the office of a corporator in Panvel and gave a letter with Patil’s phone number on it. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Nitin Kausdikar, said, “The unidentified man told the corporator that Prem

bhai had asked him to call him. He said Prem bhai had got a contract to kill the corporator and he would have to pay ₹25 lakh if he wanted to be spared. The corporator then approached Kalamboli police and registered a complaint against Patil.”

Joint operation

The Navi Mumbai police and the Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force used the phone number to trace Patil. On July 27, he was arrested by the Navi Mumbai Central Unit Crime Branch from Uttar Pradesh and brought to Navi Mumbai.

He has been arrested under Sections 387 (extortion) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. He has been remanded in police custody till August 8.

Joint Commissioner Prashant Burde said, “We are trying to trace the unidentified man who gave the letter to the corporator.”