12-Year Act Ends: How Fugitive Murder Convict Co-Starred With Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan & Ranveer Singh

12-Year Act Ends: How Fugitive Murder Convict Co-Starred With Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan & Ranveer Singh Written By, Last Updated: May 22, 2026, 05:50 IST The curtain finally fell on Hemant’s years-long performance following a sophisticated, intelligence-led operation by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch Hemant was arrested, prosecuted, and ultimately convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for a murder committed within the jurisdiction of the city's Amraiwadi police station in 1997. Image: ANI/Ahmedabad Crime Branch A high-profile arrest by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch has exposed one of the most bizarre and elaborate deceptions in the history of the Indian entertainment industry. On Wednesday, police apprehended 53-year-old supporting actor Hemant, widely known in Bollywood circles by his aliases Nagindas Parshottamdas Modi and Hemant Vaishnav. While his colleagues knew him as a familiar face who shared screen space with top-tier superstars, the state’s top investigative agency revealed that the actor was actually a hardened murder convict who had successfully evaded the law for 12 years after jumping parole. The dramatic capture has sent shockwaves through both the Mumbai film circles and Gujarat’s law enforcement apparatus. Operating right under the public eye, Hemant managed to secure roles in major cinematic productions and popular television serials, completely rewriting his identity while his name remained on the absconder lists of the Gujarat prison department. What Was the Secret Criminal Past Behind the Actor’s Screen Identity? The genesis of this cinematic double-life traces back to a brutal homicide case from the late 1990s. According to official records released by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, Hemant was arrested, prosecuted, and ultimately convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for a murder committed within the jurisdiction of the city’s Amraiwadi police station in 1997. Following a lengthy trial, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment, and he was subsequently lodged at the high-security Navsari Sub-Jail. The turning point in his evasion occurred in 2014, when he applied for, and was granted, a temporary parole walkout. Under the standard terms of the Gujarat Prison Rules, convicts are required to surrender themselves to jail authorities immediately upon the expiration of their designated leave period. Hemant, however, chose to breach his bail conditions, vanishing from his known residences in Ahmedabad and severing all ties with his immediate family to prevent electronic tracking by local police. How Did an Absconding Fugitive Blend Into Bollywood’s Elite Film Sets? Upon fleeing Gujarat, the convict migrated to Mumbai, the heart of India’s entertainment sector, where he adopted the screen name Hemant Vaishnav. Recognising that the chaotic, floating nature of the city’s casting ecosystem rarely subjected junior background artists to rigorous background checks, he seamlessly integrated into the industry. Over the next decade, his portfolio grew significantly as he landed character roles in massive commercial blockbusters, daily soap operas, and streaming web series. Remarkably, his career progression brought him into direct professional proximity with some of the biggest icons of Indian cinema. Law enforcement officials confirmed that during his 12 years on the run, Hemant shared film sets and performed alongside megastars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Sunny Deol, and Ranveer Singh. Investigators note that his ability to maintain absolute composure while working on highly publicised, media-heavy film sets across Mumbai allowed him to remain undetected, effectively using the glitz of the silver screen as a camouflage for his fugitive status. How Did the Ahmedabad Crime Branch Finally Crack the Actor’s Camouflage? The curtain finally fell on Hemant’s years-long performance following a sophisticated, intelligence-led operation by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch. Acting on a localised tip-off regarding the movements of long-term parole jumpers, a specialised team began cross-referencing old manual prison records with digital footprints and modern casting directories. Through targeted human intelligence, the agency traced the suspect back to a temporary hideout in Ahmedabad, where he had quietly returned under the assumption that his case files had gone cold. The arrest underscores a critical, growing vulnerability within the entertainment industry’s unorganised hiring practices. While mainstream production houses enforce strict contracts for principal casts, background performers and supporting actors frequently slip through the cracks without standard identity verification. Hemant has since been remanded in judicial custody and is currently being transferred back to the appropriate prison authorities to serve out the remainder of his life sentence, bringing a definitive, real-world end to his most daring role. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A ne