Bandra rape case: ‘Smart’ criminal made it hard for police

Mohamed Badshah alias Mohamed Ismail Ansari, 28, the man who has been arrested for allegedly raping and robbing a Spanish woman in the wee hours of Monday, made sure to leave no trace behind that could nail him.

A history-sheeter, Ansari had been dodging the police for over 12 years. He was arrested many times, and every time he is said to have learnt from his mistake that got him caught.

Sources said that Ansari had wrapped the knife’s handle with a cloth to avoid leaving fingerprints. “He had put a pillow cover over his face. When he removed it to smoke cigarettes, the victim got a glimpse of him. This helped her in identifying the accused later,” said a police officer.

Sources added that Ansari used to confess to his burglaries when arrested. He would hand over the booty so that he would be sent to judicial custody from where he would get bail. “In this case, on learning that he will be sent to judicial custody first, as the identification parade has to be carried out before the victim leaves the country, he has denied his involvement in the crime,” an officer said.

He added that Ansari is not only a smart thief but has also understood police procedure, and uses it to his benefit.

Apparently, the police haven’t been able to get a single proper fingerprint or footprint of his from the victim’s residence. “The prints found at the house aren’t helpful. We are waiting for the results of the DNA samples,” said another officer.