The don who came to Navi Mumbai only to make threat calls

Old photos of Aman Srivastava, which the ATS had to work with

Notorious gangster Aman Srivastava, a Jharkhand native, was recently successfully apprehended by the Maharashtra ATS after an intense five-month investigation. Information that Srivastava had been frequently visiting Vashi in Navi Mumbai to make extortion calls to businessmen in Jharkhand proved crucial for investigators.

During the course of the investigation, the ATS faced challenges as they were unable to find any information about Srivastava, who has been named in numerous cases of extortion, murder and attempted murder.

The gangster, as he was captured by a CCTV camera at Vashi station

Also, no outgoing calls could be traced from Navi Mumbai and the photo provided by a local agency in Ranchi was eight years old. Additionally, Srivastava had drastically changed his appearance, making it difficult for officials to recognise him. However, the continuous monitoring of CCTV footage of Srivastava helped the Navi Mumbai Unit of the Maharashtra ATS nab their target. Srivastava, who had been evading capture for the past eight years, was ultimately arrested jointly by the Maharashtra and the Ranchi ATS on May 15.

Also Read: Mumbai: Close aide of drug lord Kailash Rajput arrested by Anti Extortion Cell

Technical analysis

The Navi Mumbai unit, which had been actively pursuing the case since January of this year, meticulously reviewed a vast amount of CCTV footage in Navi Mumbai and collected extensive mobile data from various networks. Despite the exhaustive efforts, no immediate leads were discovered. However, due to the credibility of the information received, the ATS persisted with its investigation. "Through diligent analysis of technical aspects, it was eventually revealed that the gangster had been utilising the messaging app Telegram to conduct calls and extort large sums of money from businessmen in Jharkhand and his gang members would collect the extorted funds." an ATS officer associated with the case told mid-day.

Aman Srivastava after he was arrested by the ATS last week; Old photos of Aman Srivastava, which the ATS had to work with

After closely monitoring his activities, it was discovered that Srivastava would frequently visit Vashi once or twice a month, typically between 7 pm and 8.30 pm, to make ransom calls using Telegram. The investigation revealed that he had visited Vashi approximately 9 to 10 times over the past five months, often on the second or third week of each month, as observed by the probing officers.

Two images stood out

During the course of the investigation, the Maharashtra ATS, in collaboration with its Ranchi counterparts, faced the challenge of not having up-to-date pictures of Srivastava. However, by meticulously examining CCTV footage from Vashi and other railway stations, the officials were able to identify two images of the accused.
One picture was captured at Vashi station while the other was taken at Kharghar station, both depicting Srivastava with a long beard. To further confirm his identity, the officials sought assistance from the Ranchi ATS and utilised specialised software to establish that he had been altering his appearance by growing a beard.

Finally busted

On the anticipated day, last Monday, Srivastava arrived at Vashi station around 7 pm, intending to make calls in the vicinity. However, the Maharashtra ATS, in coordination with the Ranchi ATS, successfully surprised and apprehended him.

"He attempted to deceive us by presenting a voter ID with his photo, but it bore the name of Rohan Dilip Kumar," revealed an ATS officer.

The official were sure they had got their man and Srivastava was taken into custody. Later, he admitted that he had been coming to Vashi for the past year and taking all precautions to evade law enforcement agencies and his rival gangs who are out to eliminate him like his father who was shot in a Ranchi court in 2015.

While interrogating Srivastava, officials learnt that he never stayed in Navi Mumbai and nearby areas but went there only to make calls. "He use travel using different modes to ensure that he never got caught and using this modus he managed to abscond for eight years despite living in various parts of India," an officer said.

Modus operandi

According to the ATS, after disembarking at Vashi, Srivastava would proceed to Kharghar railway station and then take an auto-rickshaw to reach Chembur. From there, he would hire a taxi to Dadar railway station, where he would board a train heading to Gujarat. Upon reaching Baroda railway station in the neighbouring state, he would switch to alternative modes of transportation, including buses, to reach Rajasthan. At times, he would either stay in Baroda or Rajasthan, using the fake voter ID for identification purposes. When returning to Navi Mumbai to make his extortion calls, he would employ the same method of transportation.

Srivastava has been named in over 40 cases, which include charges of murder, extortion, attempted murder and violations under the Arms Act as well as cases registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

2015
Year don's father was shot