Montu Namdar nabbed from Ambawadi a month after escaping police custody

Ahmedabad: A month after escaping police custody, Montu Namdar, the main accused in the June 2022 murder of BJP worker Rakesh Mehta, was apprehended at his nephew’s home in Ambawadi on Friday. Montu had escaped from police custody at Aslali crossroads on the evening of June 19.

The local crime branch (LCB) of Ahmedabad rural police had been monitoring Montu’s nephew, Milind Namdar, who resides in Shreeji Apartments, Ambawadi. Montu was arrested when he visited Milind’s house to acquire a weapon and money.

On June 19, Montu was being transported from the Ahmedabad City Civil Sessions Court to the Nadiad sub-jail in Bilodara in connection with Mehta’s murder. He had requested to visit his wife and have home-cooked food. After being taken to his farmhouse in Vatva-Gamdi near SP Ring Road, he managed to escape. An FIR was subsequently filed against PSI D B Parmar and a constable from the Nadiad police headquarters, leading to their suspension for negligence.

Montu’s criminal activities have taken him to various hill stations in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. He also made several visits to Ahmedabad, allegedly plotting to kill Pavan Gandhi, the complainant in the Rakesh Mehta murder case. Surveillance footage captured him walking past Gandhi’s office in Khadia. DeshGujarat