2 cops held for gangster's escape

2 cops held for gangster's escape
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

APRIL 1: The Byculla police today arrested two constables for allegedly helping a dreaded gangster to escape while being escorted to a court in Mazgaon on Saturday afternoon.

Acoording to police sources, constables Himatrao Adhav (44) and Prakash Mistry (38) were apprehended in connection with the daring escape of Imran Sheikh just outside the court room. The two were attached to the local armed constabulary, sources added.

Imran Sheikh, a member of the Bahrain-based Ali Budesh gang, opened firewhen he was given a revolver from someone in the crowd and he then quickly made good his escape from the court premises.

Investigators suspect that the two policemen turned a blind eye when the weapon was passed on to him. Their suspicion is further confirmed when the duo did not open fire when the gangster escaped.

Sheikh alias Mendhi alias Dilawar is named in many murders before he was arrested by a special squad near Shivam Sundaram hotel at Kandivali in 1999. The police recovered a large cache of arms during the raid.

Incidentally, this is the second case when a gangster managed to escape while being escorted for trails at Mazgoan court. Gangster Kattha Shekar was shot dead a few days later after he managed to escape in 1999.