A 36-year-old man wanted in connection with three killings and several cases of robbery in Gandhinagar has been nabbed by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), a senior official said on Sunday.
The accused, Madan alias Monish alias Bhanvarlal Mali, who was carrying a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, took tips for committing the crime from a popular television serial and video-sharing website YouTube, he said.
"He was nabbed late Saturday night from Sarkhej locality where he was hiding after changing his appearance," Assistant Commissioner of Police, Gujarat ATS, B P Rojiya told reporters here.
In 2016, the accused stole a gun which was later used by him in three incidents of killing that took place between October 14, 2018 and January 26 this year, he said.
"The accused learnt to operate the weapon through YouTube and used it to carry out loot and killings in different parts of Gandhinagar," Rojiya said.
He also took tips from the TV serial "Crime Patrol" on how to shoot a person and escape the police clutches after carrying out the crime, the official said.
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"He killed three people after they refused to part with their money, first on October 14, 2018, then on December 9, 2018, and later on January 26, 2019. He then went into hiding by changing his appearance and place of living after learning that the police were closing-in on him," he said.
The three killings were reported from Adalaj and Infocity areas of the state capital.
In the first case, one Jairam Rabari was shot in his head and Rs 75,000 looted from him. Later, one Keshavbhai Patel was similarly shot dead from point-blank range. The third victim, Juthaji Thakor, was also shot in his head and Rs 2.75 lakh was looted from him, Rojiya said.
The accused would conduct a recce to ascertain the victim's movement before conducting the crime, he said.
"After the investigation intensified, the accused was caught on a CCTV camera sipping tea near Trimandir in Gandhinagar. When this was publicised by the police, he went underground. He dumped his two-wheeler and changed his appearance to hide himself," Rojiya said.
The accused left his house at Pali in Rajasthan in 1995 and came to Ahmedabad to work as a daily wager.
He was first arrested in 1999 for stealing a bicycle and later caught again in 2006, the official said, without specifying the offence at the second time.