Mira Road: In a major breakthrough, the anti-extortion cell of the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar police crime branch arrested a murder accused from Punjab after a four month-long manhunt.

The accused, identified as Sachin Kumar Sahu alias Rathod, had allegedly shot dead 24-year-old Mohd. Shams Tabrez Shahabuddin Ansari alias Sonu on January 3, 2025. The incident occurred around 9:15 pm inside the famous Shanti Shopping Center near Mira Road railway station.

Investigations revealed that the murder stemmed from a long-standing business rivalry in the Mira Road area. The accused allegedly acted on the instructions of Saif Ali Mansoor Ali Khan, Mohd. Yusuf Mansoor Ali Alam, and Tabbasum Parveen Mohd. Istekar, with whom the deceased had business disputes. Following the crime, Sahu went underground, changing locations and concealing his identity to avoid arrest.

“We suspected that Sahu was hiding in Punjab’s Bathinda district. With necessary permissions and assistance from local police, we successfully located and arrested him from Talwandi Sabo,” said DCP (Crime) Avinash Ambure.

The accused was presented before the Talwandi Sabo magistrate court and brought to Mira-Bhayandar on transit remand.

“Despite the accused being on the run for months and crossing state boundaries, our officers used a combination of field intelligence and technology to ensure he was brought to justice,” DCP Ambure said.