Ahmedabad | Twelve years after a murder convict jumped parole, the Gujarat Police have nabbed the man, who evaded arrest by changing his locations as well as name and went on to do roles in some Bollywood films, including those made by prominent production houses, officials said on Thursday.
The Ahmedabad crime branch arrested the convict, Hemant Modi (53), on Wednesday near a metro station here, they said.
A case of murder and rioting was registered against Modi in Ahmedabad in 2005.
The incident, which had occurred near Parshwanath Township in the city, was a fallout of a dispute over an alleged illegal staircase built in the way of a 'chawl'.
On June 15, 2005, a group, including Modi's brother, allegedly started a fight with complainant Ajay Patel and his friend Narendra Kamble. Kamble was killed during the clash.
In August 2008, all the convicts, including Modi, were sentenced to life imprisonment by a court.
While Modi was serving the sentence in the Mehsana District Jail, the Gujarat High Court granted a 30-day parole to him in 2014. However, after he failed to surrender, the HC declared him a parole jumper in July that year, a statement issued by the city crime branch said.
According to police, Modi then changed multiple locations and even his name to evade arrest.
Between 2014 and 2015, he lived in Patan district of Gujarat and later shifted to Ahmedabad by taking up a new name - Twinkle Dave. He used to live in a paying guest facility and worked in a private company in the city till 2017, the police said.
Between 2017 and 2025, he lived at different locations in Mumbai, where he worked as a supporting actor in several Bollywood films.
He did various roles in Hindi and Gujarati films, web series and plays in both the languages, it added.
"During his years on the run, Modi maintained a highly active and visible career in the entertainment industry, appearing in major Bollywood productions such as "Thugs of Hindostan" alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, and "Jayeshbhai Jordaar" with Ranveer Singh"," the official statement said.
Beyond the screen, he remained active in theatre, performing in plays such as "Yugpurush" and "Gandhi Viruddh Godse". Despite his public-facing career in films, web series and serials, he successfully evaded authorities until the recent detection by the crime branch, it said.
In 2025, he returned to Ahmedabad and started living in Gheekanta area, the police said, adding that he was nabbed around 1 pm on Wednesday.
The crime branch will hand him over to Mehsana District Jail so that he serves the remainder of his sentence.
The 2005 case against Modi was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder), 324 (causing hurt with dangerous weapons), 147 and 148 (rioting and rioting with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), along with section 135(1) of the Bombay Police Act related to violation of police prohibitory orders.
