The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested Hemant Modi, 53, a life-term convict who absconded after a parole in 2014 and spent the next twelve years building a parallel life as a Bollywood supporting actor. Among the films he appeared in, per the Crime Branch, is Mohanlal’s Empuraan — the Malayalam blockbuster released earlier this year.
The original conviction dates to August 2008. Modi was found guilty of the 2005 murder of Narendra Kambale in Naroda, Ahmedabad — a killing that arose from a land dispute between two groups. He was serving a life sentence at Mahesana Jail when the Gujarat High Court granted him thirty days of parole in July 2014. He never returned.
Twelve Years, a New Name, a Film Career
Mumbai was the next stop. Modi renamed himself Spandan Modi, built a new identity, and found his way into the background of several significant productions. Thugs of Hindostan — the Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan film — has his name in its credits. So does Ranveer Singh’s Jayeshbhai Jordaar. He appeared in Gujarati films, television serials, and theatre productions including Yugpurush and Gandhi Virudh Godse. The Crime Branch also confirmed his appearance in Empuraan and noted he had acted in the upcoming Lahore 1947, not yet released.
He returned to Ahmedabad on multiple occasions in his capacity as an actor — and was not recognised by police each time. It was a tip that he had visited his own home that finally gave the Crime Branch the lead they needed. Even at the time of arrest, per Mathrubhumi, he attempted to claim mistaken identity.
He will be transferred back to Mahesana Jail.
The detail that cuts through everything else here is simple: a convicted murderer, under a false name, shared sets with some of Indian cinema’s biggest stars for over a decade. The industry’s background verification process — or the absence of one — will face questions this arrest has now made unavoidable.
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