The Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested a convicted murderer on Wednesday. The accused had been absconding for 12 years after jumping parole. Police confirmed the arrest on Thursday.
The man was caught near Gheekanta Metro Station in Ahmedabad.
Who is he?
The arrested man is 53-year-old Hemant alias Nagindas Parshottamdas Modi Vaishnav. He was serving a life sentence in connection with a 2005 murder case in the Naroda area of Ahmedabad.
A case had been registered against him under Sections 302, 324, 147, 148, 149, and 120(B) of the IPC, along with Section 135(1) of the BP Act.
He remained in jail until 2014. After being granted parole, he never returned.
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How he hid for 12 years
Hemant changed his name and quietly entered the film industry. He worked as a supporting actor in Hindi and Gujarati films, web series, TV serials, and theatre productions.
Hemant was careful from the start. He avoided Ahmedabad entirely in the initial years. He first stayed in Patan and nearby areas before eventually moving to Mumbai.
Then he also stayed off the grid deliberately. And, he did not use social media or a mobile phone in the early years. This made it nearly impossible for police to track him through technology.
Crime Branch inspector PM Dhakhra explained: “Since he didn’t use social networking or mobile phones, we couldn’t track him using technology. Later, based on information from local informers about his arrival in Ahmedabad, he was caught.”
A surprisingly visible career
Despite being a wanted fugitive, Hemant built an active career in the entertainment industry. Police described his professional profile during this period as “highly active and visible.”
He appeared in major Bollywood productions. His film credits include ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ and ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’. He had also worked in the upcoming films ‘Lahore 1947’ and ‘Metro In Dino’.
His reach went beyond Hindi cinema. He featured in the South Indian film ‘L2: Empuraan’. On television, he appeared in popular shows like ‘Wagle Ki Duniya’ and ‘Mere Sai’.
He was also active in theatre. He performed in plays such as ‘Yugpurush’ and ‘Gandhi Viruddh Godse’, both well-known productions in the Gujarati and Hindi theatre circuit.
Hemant was present on social media as well, which kept him publicly visible, yet he managed to stay out of the radar of law enforcement for over a decade.
The tip-off that led to his arrest
The breakthrough came through a tip-off. The Crime Branch received information that Hemant had arrived in Ahmedabad. Acting swiftly, officers moved in and nabbed him near Gheekanta Metro Station.
Dhakhra addressed the media after the arrest. “Yesterday, Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested an accused named Hemant Nagindas Modi, who had been on the run for 12 years after jumping parole. He was convicted in a murder case and remained in jail until 2014, after which he jumped parole. He had been wanted for 12 years. During this period, the accused played various roles in the film industry and was also quite active on social media. Many of his web series were also released,” he said.
He added: “The Ahmedabad Crime Branch received a tip-off yesterday that this wanted accused had arrived in Ahmedabad. Consequently, our branch apprehended him.”
After the arrest, Ahmedabad police wasted no time. Hemant has been sent back to Mehsana Jail to serve the remainder of his life sentence.