The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested a 53-year-old convict, who spent nearly 12 years on the run, building his career as a Bollywood and television actor, officials said on Thursday.
Hemant Nagendas Modi, who shared screen space with top actors in films and TV serials, was arrested by police near Geikanta Metro station in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Modi, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for vandalism, overstayed the 30-day parole period granted to him on July 25, 2014, and has been on the run ever since.
During this period, he changed his identity and built a career in the entertainment industry, performing supporting roles in films and television series.
Crime Branch officials said Modi appeared in films like Thugs of Hindostan and Jayeshbhai Jordaar, which featured actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh. He also appeared in TV shows like Wagle Ki Duniya and Mere Sai, and performed in stage shows including Yugpurush and Gandhi Viruddh Godse, they said.
Modi was arrested after the Crime Branch received information about his role in the 2005 crime and his visit to Ahmedabad.
Based on these inputs, the teams traced his old contacts and placed them under surveillance. He was eventually tracked down and intercepted near Ghicanta MRT station on May 20, around 1pm.
Police said Modi initially tried to hide his identity but later confessed. During his interrogation, he told investigators that he was working as an assistant actor.
At the time of his release from prison on parole, Modi was serving a life sentence in Mehsana District Jail under Sections 302 (murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons), 147, 148 (riot and riot with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Police Act, along with provisions of the Bombay Police Act. He was returned to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.
