Mumbai cops pose as houseowners to nab undertrial on the run

MUMBAI: Kasturba Marg policemen posed as houseowners looking for a painter for their home in order to nab an undertrial in a murder case who had jumped parole and was working as a painter.
Badal Verma, the 25-year-old undertrial who was absconding for 3 years, was nabbed from Palghar last Tuesday. He will be sent back to prison. According to the police, Verma and his associate had been booked for the murder of a friend over a dispute at Borivli East in 2017. Verma was lodged in Thane prison. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and several prisoners were released either on parole or furlough to decongest prisons. Verma was one of them.
But when it was time to report back to the prison, Verma had vanished. Court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Verma.
"We went to his old address but he wasn't living there," said head constable Sudesh Shetty, adding that the police could get a six-year-old photograph of Verma. "Neighbours told us he had turned into a drug addict and would live on the streets. We checked every pavement dweller from Bhayander to Malad but had no luck," assistant sub-inspector Sanjay Kamble added.
The two cops went back to Verma's old address and while questioning residents were able to get some leads about Verma's brother. Through the brother, they found out that Verma had moved to Palghar where he worked as a painter. "We got his phone number and dialled him posing as houseowners from Palghar looking for a painter to get our home painted. We also asked where we would find him and he told us the name of an intersection-- Temburda Naka-- before disconnecting the line," Shetty added. The two cops went to Palghar and found his home and waited. "When he finally arrived , they matched him with the old photo and took him into custody," said senior inspector Anil Avhad.