Farooq, who was allegedly given the contract for killing Swedski, was nabbed from Rani Talav area of Surat following a joint operation by Maharashtra and Surat police. Farooq’s associate Altaf Patel is still at large.

The murder of 25-year-old Leona on February 8, 2003 seemed right out of a crime thriller. She was found dead on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway hours after she flew into Mumbai from New Jersey. It initially appeared that she had been killed in a car crash near Hotel Hilltop along the highway in Vasai.

Police closed in on Desai when he could not explain some telephone numbers registered on his mobile phone. The numbers belonged to two contract killers, Farooq and Altaf Patel. The two had been elusive ever since. After his arrest on Saturday, Fruitwala was taken on a transfer warrant by the Maharashtra police since the murder case is registered with Kashimira police station. During preliminary interrogation by Surat police, Farooq is reported to have confessed to his involvement in the murder and revealed that he had been roped in by Vadodara-based Vipul Patel, Pragnesh’s friend.

Farooq claimed that their job was only to kidnap the model and not kill her. However, while trying to apply chloroform, the scuffle with the model had resulted in her being choked to death. Surat police officials said Farooq and Altaf were promised Rs 30 lakh by Vipul. Farooq told the police that he had only received Rs 3 lakh for the job but before he could receive the remaining amount, Desai broke down before the police.

The Maharashtra police had recovered a bag containing $20,000 from Vipul’s house in Karelibaug. After the murder, Farooq and Altaf had escaped to Chhattisgarh and later to Bharuch. On Saturday, Farooq had returned to his house in Rani Talav when he was arrested. Altaf, however, is yet to be arrested and is believed to be in London.

Desai was arrested on February 10, 2003 soon after he broke down before the police. Vipul was also arrested later by the police. But the case fell on its face after the investigating officer failed to substantiate the charges against Desai and Vipul leading to their acquittal in last August. While Vipul is now in Vadodara, Pragnesh was again arrested in October and is at present lodged in Tihar Jail after Interpol alerted Indian police about some other criminal cases for which he is wanted. Maharashtra police have appealed in the High Court against the acquittal of Vipul and Pragnesh in the Swedski murder case.