Anti Extortion Cell nabs wanted accused in Kurla

The Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) of Mumbai crime branch on Friday arrested a wanted accused, recovering firearms and live cartridges from him.

The accused was arrested after the police laid a trap based on a tip-off, said Vinayak Vast, senior inspector and head of AEC.

According to the AEC, the accused, who hails from Udipi, has been identfied as Bharat Balkrishna Shetty, 28, wanted in a murder and kidnapping case in Karnataka.

Officers said they had received information that a man carrying firearms was to come to Kurla to meet an associate. Acting on the information, the officers, dressed as autorickshaw drivers, hawkers and vegetable vendors, laid a trap and arrested him.

"Shetty was found in possession of a 7.65-bore pistol loaded with four live cartridges. A case was registered at Nehru Nagar police station and was taken over for investigation by the AEC," Vast said.

The police also raided Shetty's residence in Dombivli and recovered four big knifes, one kukri, two screw drivers, two big cutters and plairs. It was also revealed that Shetty and his associates had committed a murder in 2011 at a bus stand in Karkala jurisdiction, Udipi. He was arrested by the Karkala police for the murder but released on bail later.

Shetty was also arrested for the kidnapping of a businessman from Udipi for ransom. He had been absconding since then.

An AEC officer said, "He is an important catch and we were able to arrest him before he could commit any crime here in Mumbai."