After escape, rape-murder accused arrested again

“He had shaved off his beard and hair and purchased new clothes including a full-sleeved shirt with which he hid the handcuffs still attached to his right hand. He went to bet on horse races again. We checked the five horse racing points and located him from the fort point and arrested him,” the officer said. (Representational Image)

A 23-YEAR-OLD man, out on bail after his arrest for allegedly raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl in Chennai and who escaped from the Chennai Police custody after he was arrested in Mumbai Wednesday as a suspect in his mother’s murder, was rearrested on Friday from south Mumbai.

Daswant, who was caught from Mumbai while betting on horses, was arrested for the second time doing the same thing, police said. This time, he had tonsured his head and shaved off his beard and had been roaming the city with handcuffs on his right hand that he hid with a full-sleeved shirt. The accused now has a case at Vile Parle police station as well for fleeing from custody.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone 8) Anil Kumbare said: “Our team working with the Chennai Police arrested Daswant from south Mumbai. We arrested him in connection with an offence registered at Vile Parle police station.” An officer from the Vile Parle police station said for the second time in a row, he was arrested while betting on horses in south Mumbai.

“He had shaved off his beard and hair and purchased new clothes including a full-sleeved shirt with which he hid the handcuffs still attached to his right hand. He went to bet on horse races again. We checked the five horse racing points and located him from the fort point and arrested him,” the officer said.

Daswant was caught on Wednesday while he was betting on horses in Mumbai. He had been out on bail in a rape and murder case in Chennai, and since last week was also suspected of killing his mother, the police said. After he was arrested in the second case, the Chennai Police had been staying at Hotel Satellite in Vile Parle east and were to fly out from the domestic airport on Thursday night. But Daswant managed to escape while taking lunch with policemen at 4.30 pm. The police said while taking food, he got up and ran out of the hotel.