But, according to rumours doing rounds in the city, Amdawadi had actually been eliminated in a police encounter and his body was even recovered from the outskirts of the city. None, however, proved to be true until Tuesday evening.

According to the complaint lodged in the Ichhapore police station by PSI Hadiya, he had taken Amdawadi in a Maruti van to a guest house in Hazira, where Amdawadi's associate Farooq Fruitwala was reportedly hiding. The armed police team however escorted Amdawadi back to the city when no one was found at the guest house.

But after the team reached Kashthbhanjan Hanuman Mandir, near Bhata village, at about 10.30 pm, Amdawadi requested them to allow him to answer nature's call. Amdawadi who was not handcuffed but had both his hands tied with a rope was permitted to step out of the vehicle, with two escorting policemen, into a field adjacent to the road.

But even as Amdawadi and the two went into the field, he pushed both the constables aside and disappeared into the field while Hadiya considered one of the best shooters in the city police force and who was armed with his service rifle stood helplessly.

The two constables reportedly even received bruises after they fell on thorny bushes bordering the field.

The city police, while claiming that the gangster had escaped, has launched a massive search for him and recovered the rope by which he was tied, about 200 metres from a field, belonging to one Ramansingh Narsinh, near Bhata village. No departmental action has been initiated against any of the five policemen who escorted the gangster to Hazira.

Speaking to Express Newsline, DCB PI M G Kaneriya, who is also a part of the search operations, flatly denied that the gangster had been eliminated in an encounter, while PSI R H Hadiya claimed that he just did not imagine that Amdawadi would escape as he was tied. ``But as it was dark, we just could not follow him,'' Hadiya claimed.

Many, however, are not willing to buy the police's version of the story. First of all, Asif was tied and escorted by armed policemen. Then it is also learnt that Amdawadi could not run very fast as he had steel rods fixed in his legs because of a fracture earlier.

And most importantly, Ramesh Kapadia, Amdawadi's lawyer had filed a court application on Monday afternoon, stating that he be allowed to meet his client as there was a fear of him being eliminated by the police. Kapadia also told the court that it amounted to a violation of human rights when Amdawadi was paraded through the Bhagal Market after his arrest.

Special branch PI Agat Rao, when contacted in the evening, stated that almost 24 hours after the escape, the police had still not made any headway in arresting Amdawadi and confirmed that the dog squad had still not been taken to the spot to track him. Rao also could not provide exact details of the plan being chalked out to arrest Amdawadi although he stated that squads had been formed to arrest him.

Inquiry ordered
Based on a directive by the city police commissioner, an inquiry has been ordered into the possible lapses on duty, on the part of the DCB police, which led to Amdawadi's escape. However, the inquiry is not expected to begin until Thursday as ACP M B Pethani (special branch), who has been asked to conduct the inquiry, is on leave for three days beginning Tuesday.