Nagpur: The most dreaded sand mafia of Nagpur district, Lateef Ansari, surrendered before the Saoner court on Wednesday after SP Nagpur rural Harssh A Poddar initiated court proceedings to seize his properties. Lateef, wanted in a murder case of 2020, was handed over to Khaparkheda police.
Ansari, who had been on the run for the past four years, was declared as ‘most wanted’ by the Nagpur Rural Police. The court issued instructions to the Khaparkheda Police for Ansari’s arrest. Latif Ansari faced more than 15 criminal charges, including murder, attempted murder, and involvement in sand smuggling.
According to police, Lateef, having 15 cases against him including two murders, was sheltering in different states as Nagpur rural cops had been trying to track him down. Poddar had issued an instruction to the police to approach the court to declare him a proclaimed offender, and subsequently started procedures to issue an order to seize his properties. Cornered by the relentless pursuit and court proceedings, Lateef surfaced before Saoner court to surrender in the murder case.
According to police, Ansari, along with his accomplices and the assistance of a local Sarpanch, had murdered a young man for sending a message to a woman. The murder of Mohib Latif Khan (22), a resident of Khaparkheda, occurred on August 16, 2020. Four persons involved in the crime were previously arrested, but Ansari managed to evade arrest and become the prime focus of the investigation.
The police had been searching for Ansari, who finally surrendered in the court on Wednesday. The intensified pressure from the police force played an important role in his decision to surrender.
