Remanded to police custody by Kurla court, 24-year-old arrested by the Chembur police for a theft, escapes and jumps into Mithi river, only to swim into the arms of waiting cops at the BKC end
A court order remanding him to police custody made Mohammad Sajjad Ali Shaikh’s head swim. The 24-year-old, arrested by the Chembur police for a theft yesterday, then did what he thought in his naiveté was the best escape plan: jump into the Mithi river and swim towards freedom. He, however, failed to account for the resourcefulness of the police and was caught near the BKC bridge again.
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Mohammad Sajjad Ali Shaikh breaks free, pushes cops aside at the Kurla metropolitan magistrate court and jumps into the Mithi river through a broken wall. Illustrations/Ravi Jadhav
Shaikh allegedly snatched the bag of an acquaintance during a tiff yesterday and decamped with it. Based on a complaint from the alleged victim, the Chembur police arrested him and produced him in the afternoon before the Kurla metropolitan magistrate court for a custody hearing. The Mithi river flows beside the court.
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As cops alert the control room, Shaikh swims towards the BKC bridge
Shaikh was escorted to the court by a sub-inspector and two constables from the Chembur police station.
The magistrate remanded him in police custody till July 25.
Once he reaches the bridge, he spots the police waiting for him. The cops throw down a rope for him, which he initially refuses. He finally latches onto it when his strength gives in
I spy...
After being escorted out of the court around 3.30 pm, the youth was put inside the police van, parked near a broken compound wall of the premises.
Sensing an opportunity to escape, Shaikh pushed the police escort aside and jumped through the hole in the wall into the Mithi river. He then began swimming towards the BKC bridge, half a kilometre away.
A Chembur police official said one of the shaken constables unwittingly jumped into the Mithi river, but couldn’t chase after Shaikh since he doesn’t know how to swim.
The police then alerted the control room, which directed BKC and Kurla police to take charge at the BKC bridge.
Taking charge
Accordingly, some seven policemen from the BKC police station, led by Inspector Kalim Shaikh, and another dozen personnel from the Kurla police station, led by senior inspector Lalasaheb Shette blocked Shaikh’s escape route via the BKC bridge.
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“We could see that Shaikh had swum quite a distance and he was breathing hard. The Mithi was rough due to rain. On reaching BKC, Shaikh spotted us on the bridge,” said Sheete.
Refused to give in
Despite all his escape routes being blocked, Shaikh refused to give in. “We told him that surrender was his only option left, unless he wanted to drown in the Mithi. He refused to come ashore and kept swimming at the spot. We threw him a rope. Finally realising that any more resistance was futile, he grabbed the rope and we pulled him ashore,” said Kalim.
The escape drama lasted some 45 minutes. Shaikh was then booked by the Kurla police under Section 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) of the IPC. Once the Chembur police are done with their case, the Kurla police will claim his custody.
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