Ashfaq Shaikh alias Babu, 27, the fifth accused in the July 31 gangrape of a 19-year-old Bhandup-based tele-operator, was freely roaming around the NM Joshi Marg police station while on the run. Shaikh, who was later arrested by the police through a honey trap with the help of his girlfriend from Kamathipura, revealed this during his questioning, police sources confirmed.
A resident of Bakar Adda area of Byculla, Shaikh is a friend of Kasim Bengali, Salim Ansari and Vijay Jadhav, alias Nanu, who are the other accused arrested in the case. All of them used to play cards in JR Boricha Marg area, Saat Raasta.
After the July 31 gangrape case was reported, the police started searching for Shaikh whose number was also reflected in the call details of the other accused. However, before the police could catch him he fled to Karnataka and then Ajmer.
A crime branch officer involved in the investigation said, “During the probe we learnt that before escaping the city he was roaming around NM Joshi Marg police station. He wanted to see if any of his family members had been called to the police station for questioning so that he could meet them as the police had laid a trap for him around his house,” said an officer.
However, by the time the police learnt this, he had already left the city and could not be arrested. Through his call details, investigators found regular calls from him to a commercial sex worker in Kamathipura.
Policemen found the woman and laid a honey trap with her help at a lodge in Girgaon and arrested him on September 14. Shaikh, who is married and has two kids, was in a relationship with the sex worker for four years and had even lived with her in Nalasopara for a year.
He is in police custody till September 23.