16 March,2017 10:45 AM IST | | Shiva Devnath
On the run since 2015, he thought he could outrun the police this time too. But garbage came in the way. Cops managed to nab the hardcore criminal, but not before a four-hour-long dramatic chase
The Deonar police receive a tip-off that wanted criminal Adil Qureshi had returned home. They send a 15-member team to his house, but he gets alerted about it.
On the run since 2015, he thought he could outrun the police this time too. But garbage came in the way. A team of 15 cops managed to nab a hardcore criminal yesterday when he got stuck in a choked nullah, but not before a four-hour-long dramatic chase.
The Deonar police had got a tip-off about the accused, Adil Qureshi (30), having returned home, and hence, went to bring him in. Qureshi, however, came to know that they were standing outside his house, and so, he made a break for it by cutting a hole in the roof.
He makes a hole in the roof and escapes. As he jumps from one hutment to another, the police keep him in their sights by tailing him from the ground.
Night chase
Senior inspector Duttatre Shinde said Qureshi is a resident of Tata Nagar in Govandi and absconding since 2015 in a case of attempt to murder and others. The police had been searching for him since then. A year later, he had resurfaced and attacked a person.
On Monday night, as the police waited, Qureshi got out through the roof. He kept hiding and reappearing up there, so they spread the net, trying to keep him in sight from below.
After three hours of that, he jumps in a nullah. The police realise that the only way to catch him is to send someone after him, and an inspector jumps in as well.
After nearly three hours, he jumped in a nullah. For 15 minutes, it was pitch black and dead silent. After finally spotting him, the police realised that the only way to catch him was to jump in, and one inspector did just that. But it was far from easy even after that, and it took him over an hour to catch hold of Qureshi.
The police said the accused has political connections, which are what have helped him so far.
After evading the officer for nearly an hour, garbage in the choked gutter finally stops the criminal's progress and he gets caught. illustrations/Ravi Jadhav
Tailing the roofman
Sources said the tip-off came to them on Sunday, after which Shinde formed a team under the supervision of sub-inspectors Nilesh Kanade and Vikrant Sankpal with constables Meer, Gaikwad, Bhosle, Waidande, Shildharghar, Hake, Mane and Jagdale.
An officer said, "Our team followed him in the area on foot because he kept jumping from the roof of one house to another. Our officers tailed him, asking him to surrender, but in vain. This went on for nearly three hours - our team behind Qureshi as he crossed huts, drains and bridges."
Shinde said the entire locality knew what was happening, with everybody out of their houses to watch the drama, but no one helped due to fear. The police finally caught him in the drain in Govandi, where he got stuck due to the garbage in it.
