The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has apprehended a 53-year-old actor, Hemant Vaishnav, also known as Hemant Modi, who had been on the run for nearly ten years after jumping parole while serving a life sentence for a 2005 murder case. Hemant Vaishnav was captured from a rented residence near Gheekanta Metro Station in Ahmedabad. He had been declared a parole absconder in 2014 for failing to surrender after a 30-day parole granted by the Gujarat High Court.
Inspector P.M. Dhakda revealed that Hemant Vaishnav had been convicted in 2008 and sentenced to life imprisonment for a murder in Naroda in 2005. The arrest was made in Indore after 12 years of absconding. The crime stemmed from a dispute between neighbors over a ladder placement near a water tank, resulting in a fatal altercation.
Hemant Vaishnav, who had been working in various jobs and later in the entertainment industry, appeared in films like Thugs of Hindostan and Jayeshbhai Jordaar. He also featured in television serials and theater productions, showcasing a diverse acting career. Despite maintaining a visible public presence in the entertainment sector, he managed to evade authorities for years.
The accused, who had assumed a different identity to avoid detection, confessed during interrogation that he never surrendered after parole. Investigators, after receiving a tip-off, initially struggled to confirm his identity but later matched his identifying marks from previous records. Hemant Vaishnav’s brother had also been incarcerated with him previously, and he mentioned undergoing medication for depression during his imprisonment.
