SURAT: The police in Gujarat's Surat city on Friday demolished an illegal building once used as a gambling den by a dreaded criminal who escaped from the clutches of the police after his men attacked and injured policemen earlier this week, an official said.
The two-storey structure near Sheetal cinema in Rander was bulldozed amid police deployment, inspector P L Chaudhary of Rander police station said.
The building was used by Arif, who lives in a Nehrunagar hutment near Sheetal cinema, and his brother Sajju, who are dreaded criminals.
While Sajju was arrested recently, Arif, who was evading the police for some time in a recent case of obstructing government officials in Sachin area, was caught by a team from Rander police station on Tuesday night, he said.
"However, when Arif was being taken to the police station, he started shouting and called his men to help him escape. A mob of around 30 men charged towards the policemen and helped Arif escape after assaulting our staff," the official said.
An FIR has been registered in this regard and teams have been formed to nab Arif and other accused, he added.
During investigation about Arif's activities, Rander police learnt about the illegal building, which was once used as a gambling den.
The locals had also complained about the building, Chaudhary said.
"When civic authorities also confirmed that the building was illegal, we had called in a bulldozer and razed it to ensure that it is not used for any illegal activity in the future," he added.