Mom ends gambler's great escape

Ahmedabad: Pravin Dhaval, who made a daring escape from Sabarmati Central Jail by a scaling 19 feet of concrete wall and electrified fence, was dramatically handed over to city crime branch by his mother Asha Dhaval, late on Tuesday night. Asha, who is also accused of murder, told reporters that she wanted to remain on the right side of the law and hence handed her son over to the cops.
The most surprising thing revealed by police during the media briefing was that Pravin, who is a master gambler, putting his life at risk danger only to make some money by gambling in the festive season ahead of Janmashtmi.
Joint commissioner of police, crime branch, J K Bhatt said Pravin has mastered gambling to such an extent that people sponsor his trips to Mumbai, to gamble for them, and pay him handsomely for this. "The big money involved spoiled him. Pravin deserted his wife Poonam to live with Anjali, who is believed to be his second wife," added Bhatt. In crime branch custody, in the presence of senior police officers, a grinning Pravin seemed to live up to this description.
Crime branch officials said that after scaling the jail wall on July 24 and surviving the 19 foot fall, Pravin walked through the extended jail campus, where the staff quarters are, and then caught an auto to Kathwada.
"He then called Anjali and a friend named Shiva, who came to Kathwada. Pravin took Rs 1,800 from Anjali, paid the auto driver Rs 300, went to a friend's farm and stayed there for two days," Bhatt said. Crime branch officials said Pravin then called his mother Asha, who phoned the cops on Tuesday night and said she was bringing her son to the crime branch office. "Asha and Pravin, with 10 or 15 others, came to the crime branch office at noon. We arrested Pravin and are questioning his partner Anjali, with regard to her alleged involvement," Bhatt added.