Mumbai: An absconding accused and leader of the notorious 'Mirchi' gang, was arrested by the officials of Crime Branch Unit 11 early on Saturday for the murders of a minister in Uttar Pradesh and a businessman in Noida.
The accused, Pravin alias Aashu alias Aakash Singh, 32, had been hiding in Mumbai for over a year with false identity to evade arrest. He was held from Irla area early on Saturday and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The notorious gang leader, Singh, was wanted for 19 serious crimes like murders, kidnappings and extortion registered against him at several police stations in Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police had been trying to nab Singh since September last year, after he killed a political party worker, Rakesh Sharma, in Hapur district and later shot a Noida-based businessman, Gaurav Chandel, in the head and stole his four-wheeler to escape earlier this year in January.
During the probe, it was revealed that Singh used to go into hiding under fake pretences in Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
On Friday, a team of crime branch officials received a tip-off that Singh was hiding in Irla area at Vile Parle (W) and a trap was laid.
Early on Saturday, Singh was arrested and he confessed of his crimes during interrogation. Probe also revealed that he was living in Mumbai with a false identity and was selling vegetables in Prem Nagar area. The UP Police had also declared a prize of ₹2.5 lakh for his arrest.
He was subsequently booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for his criminal charges.
