More than a month after he outwitted on duty personnel by escaping from the Naya Nagar police station (Mira Road) in true Bollywood- style, the 30-year-old thief was re-arrested on Saturday. Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police commissionerate in association with their counterparts in the Malwani police station apprehended Sameer Akbar Shaikh (30) from Mumbai.
Shaikh had been arrested by the Naya Nagar police on 25, January under sections 380 and 454 of the Indian Penal Code for his alleged involvement in a temple theft case in the region. Not ruling out Shaikh’s involvement in a spate of other theft and housebreaking cases in and around the region, Assistant Commissioner of Police- Shashikant Bhosale said, “Yes, we have re-arrested him with the help of the Malwani police. Presently he is in the custody of the Naya Nagar police which is conducting further investigation.” A little over an hour after his arrest Shaikh said he wanted to attend nature's call and was escorted to the toilet located on the first floor of the police station.
When the accused didn’t show up for an unusually long time, the on-duty police personnel checked only to realize that he had escaped by pulling out the aluminum grills installed on the toilet window. He had apparently used the duct pipe to scale down from the first floor.
Apart from section 380 and 454, a separate case under section 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) of the IPC for escaping from police custody had also been registered against Shaikh, police said.