Thane: A four-member police team from the Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar Commissionerate (MBVV) returned from Prague with Vipul Patel, who was extradited for allegedly murdering a US-based model in 2003.
The accused will be produced before the Thane court on Saturday, said Sr PI Sanjay Hazare of Kashimira police station. Hazare was a part of the team that flew to Prague.
Patel is a key accused in the murder of Leona Swiderski (33) a US-based model in February 2003. Her fiancee Pragnesh Desai had allegedly hired three Patel and two others — Altaf Gafoor Patel and Farooq Banarasi — for killing Swiderski.
The trio strangulated the woman and dumped her body near a hotel on the Kashimira highway. Desai had given ₹30 lakh to Patel for the murder.
On February 8, 2003, Leona and Desai arrived from the US at Mumbai airport and they were subsequently kidnapped by the trio, as planned by Desai.
“It was later revealed that Desai murdered Swiderski as she had taken a $1 million insurance policy and Desai murdered her to claim her policy,” said Hazare.
In 2003, the four accused were acquitted by the Thane court for lack of evidence.
Later, in 2004, the state approached the high court against the acquittal.
After Desai and Patel failed to appear before the HC, the court issued a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) and Desai was arrested from Baroda on March 9 2021, while Patel fled to Prague, said Hazare.
Meanwhile, the CID, Pune, through the Union External Affairs Ministry approached Interpol, New Delhi, and a red corner notice was issued for Patel eventually in February 2022, Patel was held in Prague, the Czech Republic, by Interpol.