Adalaj murder: 24-yr-old serial offender arrested for birthday night killing

Ahmedabad: The shocking murder of a youth on a deserted road near the Narmada canal in Adalaj on Saturday has been traced to a 24-year-old serial offender, who is suspected of preying on couples at isolated spots and robbing them. Crime branch officers arrested Vipul Parmar for allegedly stabbing Vaibhav Manwani to death while trying to rob him and his family friend near Ambapur canal.Manwani, a resident of Hansol, had gone there with his female companion after celebrating his 25th birthday with friends earlier in the evening.Parmar, originally from Banshi Chawl on Ashok Mill Road in the Naroda area of Ahmedabad and currently residing in Dehgam, was picked up from Rajkot on Sunday and was formally arrested on Tuesday. According to crime branch officers, Parmar has a lengthy criminal history. "He is accused of 14 offences, including one of attempted murder in Nikol in 2020, four cases of robbery or dacoity, and at least nine cases of theft or burglary across Ahmedabad city, Ahmedabad district, Gandhinagar, and Anand," said a senior officer.Police suspect Parmar preyed on couples at isolated locations in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. "Many of his crimes may have gone unreported due to fear of social stigma," the officer added.The latest case came to light when Manwani's family friend, a resident of east Ahmedabad who was also stabbed, survived to lodge a complaint. According to the FIR filed by the survivor, Manwani and she decided to go on a drive after celebrating with friends at Sindhu Bhavan Road. "We ended up on the canal road, where we parked the vehicle and sat talking in the rear seat. Suddenly, an unidentified man opened the back door and brandished a knife," she told police."He demanded our valuables. Manwani resisted, and the man stabbed him. When I tried to intervene, he stabbed me in the neck and right arm. He took my wristwatch, imitation jewellery, purse, and our mobile phones and fled in Manwani's car."Despite being in shock and pain, the 23-year-old ran nearly 800m and flagged down a couple passing through the area on a two-wheeler, borrowed their phone, and called her parents. Manwani died on the spot, while she was shifted to Civil Hospital with injuries.Meanwhile, the vehicle broke down a short distance away, forcing Parmar to abandon it and flee, according to police. However, the survivor's testimony and CCTV footage from the area helped police track the attacker. Parmar's mother, Kamala Makwana, told police that the family had cut off all ties with him due to his alleged illegal activities. Police said Parmar was living alone. He has now been booked for murder, robbery, and assault.