Shiva Mahalingam Pillai

AHMEDABAD: The city crime branch on Tuesday said that they have arrested a dreaded criminal, Shiva Mahalingam Pillai alias Aftab, from Narol on Monday. Aftab was declared an absconder after he jumped parole in December last year.

Aftab is involved in 20 serious crimes including murder, attempt to murder, robbery, dacoity, assault, violation of arms act, violation of prohibition act, peddling of narcotics and extortion among others.

Crime branch ACP, BV Gohil, said that Aftab was nabbed from Narol-Pirana road when he came there on Monday to meet his wife. “Aftab had got parole for a week between December 12 and December 19 but he escaped then. He first went to Ankaleshwar and later moved to Chennai at his sister’s place. After that, he stayed at Bengaluru and then Mumbai for some time. But he wanted to meet his wife who was stating in the city, so he came here and on the basis of tip off, we arrested him,” said Gohil. Crime branch officials claimed that they have also seized one pistol and four live cartridges from him. First offence against Aftab was that of attempt to murder in 1997 in Hatkeshwar. He had stabbed a person over petty issue. He has been so far booked in 23 offences. On April 6, 2018, Pillai had shot a tea-stall owner, Nasir Khan, in his chest and head in Fatehwadi resulting into death on the spot.

During his stay in Sabarmati Central Jail , he came into contact with a jail inmate, Talha Mansuri, who asked him to threaten a person named Mohammed Ismail alias Sajju. Aftab called up Ismail and asked him to give Rs 50,000 and threatened with dire consequences, claimed crime branch officials.

