A 53-year-old man, who was a convict in a murder case and managed to jump parole, fell into the police’s net on Thursday after almost 12 years of evading authorities while continuing to work in Bollywood films, television serials and theatre productions. Gujarat’s Ahmedabad Crime Branch laid hands on him from his residence near Ghee Kanta Metro Station in the city.

Details of the case

Ahmedabad Crime Branch officials said that the accused has been identified as Hemant Modi, a resident of Naroda in Ahmedabad. The crime branch DCP, Ajit Rajian said that Modi had been convicted in a murder case dating back to 2005, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

He had been lodged in Mehsana jail and had been granted a 30-day parole by the Gujarat High Court in 2014. However, after he completed his parole period, he did not surrender to the prison authorities and went on the lam.

Thereafter, he was declared a parole jumper on July 25, 2014.

Modi pursued career in acting while absconding

Despite being on the run, Modi allegedly maintained a remarkably active career in the entertainment industry for as many as 12 years. The Crime branch officials said he appeared in numerous high-profile Bollywood productions, including Thugs of Hindostan alongside veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, and also shared the screen with Ranveer Singh-starrer Jayeshbhai Jordaar.

Accused appeared in plays too

The investigating police personnel said Modi worked extensively in theatre plays too, and featured in notable ones such as Yugpurush and Gandhi Viruddh Godse. Officials noted that despite remaining in public sight through films, serials and web series, he managed to evade the law for years.

Other films in which Modi worked

The Crime Branch went on to say that Modi had also been linked to upcoming film projects, such as Lahore 1947, Metro…..In Dino and the Malayalam movie L2: Empyrean. On the television front, he starred in shows like Wagle ki Duniya and Mere Sai.

Police officials said Modi would now be handed over to Mehsana District Jail to serve the remainder of his life sentence. The charges invoked against him in the 2005 case included sections pertaining to murder, rioting, criminal conspiracy and unlawful assembly under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with provisions of the Bombay Police Act.