In a shocking revelation of criminal enterprise operating from behind bars, a convict serving a life sentence for the infamous 1993 JJ Hospital shootout has been arrested for masterminding a contract killing of a builder in Virar in 2022. The Maharashtra police have uncovered how the accused used encrypted mobile applications to direct the murder while incarcerated in a Uttar Pradesh jail.
From High-Security Prison to Crime Command Centre
Subhash Singh Thakur, a former associate of fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, was sentenced by a special TADA court in Mumbai in the year 2000 for his role in the sensational 1993 case. He is currently serving a life term at Uttar Pradesh's Fatehgarh Central Jail. Despite this, the Mira-Bhayander-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police have now arrested him for orchestrating the murder of Virar-based realtor Samay Chauhan.
Thakur was produced before the Thane MCOCA court a day after the MBVV police brought him from the UP jail on a transit remand. The prosecution informed the court that Thakur used encrypted mobile apps to pass instructions to his associates, who executed the killing on February 26, 2022.
Details of the Virar Builder Murder Plot
The court was told that on that fateful day, two assailants on a motorcycle fired five rounds at close range at Samay Chauhan in Virar's Manvelpada area, killing him instantly. The investigation revealed that the contract killing originated from a property dispute between Chauhan and another builder, Rahul Dubey.
The MBVV crime branch, led by ACP Madan Ballal, applied the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case. So far, 13 accused, including the alleged shooters and intermediaries, have been apprehended. The alleged shooters, Manish Singh and Rahul Sharma, along with accomplice Abhishek Singh, were arrested from Varanasi. Rahul Dubey was apprehended from Ballia in Bihar. Of the three initially absconding accused, one has died and two remain at large.
Jail Hospital Meetings and Encrypted Commands
The prosecution painted a picture of a well-oiled criminal syndicate that remained active under Thakur's command even from prison. They alleged that Thakur maintained control through his associate, Akhilesh Tiwari, even when he was transferred to jail hospitals and the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) hospital in Varanasi for medical treatment.
Special MCOCA judge V G Mohite remanded Thakur to police custody till December 22 for further investigation. The prosecution highlighted that during Thakur's treatment at BHU, other accused held multiple meetings with Tiwari to finalise the murder plan, a claim backed by analysis of CCTV footage.
According to the prosecution, Rahul Dubey took the contract to eliminate Chauhan via Tiwari. To help the shooters identify their target, Tiwari reportedly showed them Chauhan's photograph on his mobile phone. Rahul, Abhishek, and Arjun, alias Ajju Singh, who lived near the crime scene, oversaw the operation and provided logistical support.
A Failed Attempt and a Successful Hit
The court learned that the first attempt to carry out the killing happened in June 2021. Associates provided accommodation, financial support, logistics, firearms, and ammunition, and the accused were sent to Virar. However, this operation failed due to the declining health of one of the key accused, Rahul.
The conspiracy was reactivated on February 16, 2022, and the hit was successfully executed ten days later, on February 26. Investigators claimed that after the murder, Thakur again used encrypted apps to specify where the pistol and cartridges used in the crime should be delivered to an associate in Andheri, Mumbai.
Police are depending on voluntary confessional statements recorded under MCOCA to map the organised crime network. They have stated that Thakur's custodial interrogation is crucial to trace the contract payment and investigate assets acquired through criminal activities.
This case underscores the alarming reach of organised crime syndicates, capable of planning and executing violent crimes from within the confines of a high-security prison, leveraging technology and a network of loyal associates on the outside.
