“Je karma karyu, tenu fal madyu” (He had reaped the fruits of his actions), says Kamala Parmar, who lives in a three-storey house located in the congested neighbourhood of Banshi Ni Chaali next to Ashok Mills BRTS bus stand on Naroda road in Ahmedabad.Kamala is the stepmother of Vipul alias Neel Vishnu Parmar, 32, who was allegedly shot dead in a police encounter on September 24, on the banks of the Narmada canal in Adalaj, Gandhinagar.Vipul Parmar was taken there by police as part of the investigation of the murder of aspiring model Vaibhav Manvani, on September 20, when the latter was celebrating his 25th birthday with a 23-year-old woman friend.A report of ‘accidental death’ has been filed to investigate the “police encounter”, the first in Gujarat after the “police encounter” of Hanifkhan Jat Malek and his son Maddin Khan, alleged members of the ‘Talpatri gang’, in November 2021. Six policemen are under investigation in that case, after a petition was filed in the Gujarat High Court.Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police Ravi Teja Vasamsetty told The Indian Express, “We have reported the September 24 custodial death to the National and State Human Rights Commissions. We have also informed the Gandhinagar District Collector as well as the District Court, which will initiate a judicial inquiry.”The Gandhinagar police registered another FIR against the deceased, Vipul Parmar, for attempting to murder a police constable. An Accidental Death (AD) report filed in Parmar’s death will be investigated separately by the Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO/DySP).Kamala says that they had no ties to him, and folded her hands signalling to spare her of the questions about her dead stepson.Story continues below this adTightlipped neighbours will only tell you that they knew he had been to jail and had been “shot down by the police”. The neighbourhood homes, many populated by tenants, said they had not seen him for a long time and that they had only learnt that he had died.Parmar, who has been accused of at least one murder and another attempted murder among 10 cases filed against him, did not live here. He lived in Kadadra village of Gandhinagar, reported to be near the residence of his accomplices in previous loot cases.According to police, Parmar was killed by police “in self defence” after he allegedly snatched the service revolver of a Sub Inspector and fired at the team of the Local Crime Branch, during the reconstruction panchnama (inquest report). The site where he was killed, at the Narmada Canal near Ambapur village, is close to where he had allegedly killed Manvani in the wee hours of September 20, after robbing the two friends of their mobile phones and cash, all worth Rs 52,000, as per the FIR lodged at the Adalaj police station.While Vipul Parmar had been accused of and/or convicted in at least 10 other cases. The Indian Express has learnt that Parmar had been released from Sabarmati Central Jail just about a year ago.Story continues below this adThe Indian Express has found that Parmar has been named as accused in three cases filed at Adalaj police station. The three cases, reported within six days between October 9 and 14, 2021, include two cases of loot and one of murder.Vipul Parmar’s father Vishnu died several years ago and his only living relatives are his stepmother and a stepbrother, who is said to have conducted his final rites.Youth murdered on Oct 9, 2021On October 9, 2021, one Ajay Praveen Sagar was killed after being stabbed along the Narmada Canal in Adalaj. In the FIR, the 21-year-old woman, who was with Sagar on that day, stated that after she had given a bank job interview, they both had travelled to the Narmada Canal near Zundal on his two-wheeler. The FIR stated that they were in love and were sitting by the side of the canal when at about 5:30 pm, a youth on a silver colour Splendor bike arrived and began angrily questioning them regarding the purpose of them sitting at the isolated place.Before they could understand what was happening, the man pulled out a knife from his waistband and began indiscriminately stabbing Sagar on his stomach, chest and neck. The woman stated that she tried to intervene, but in vain. The assailant fled after a car approached their position and stopped to help the screaming woman.Sagar was first taken to Gandhinagar Civil Hospital and then to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.Professor robbed on Oct 13, 2021Story continues below this adAt about 11:30 pm on October 13, 2021, an assistant professor at a private college was passing through Adalaj on his way to meet colleagues in Chandkheda when he decided to take a break. He parked his car on the service road of the Narmada Canal near Zundal and lit a cigarette. In the FIR filed about 12 hours later, on October 14,he stated that three men riding a bike parked a little ahead of him. One of them brandished a knife and sat in his car while the other two surrounded him and asked him to give all his valuables. The professor handed them his laptop, mobile phone and Rs 2,700. They then placed his car keys on the road, asked him not to follow them and fled the spot.On October 21, 2021, Parmar (28), a resident of Naroda Road in Ahmedabad, Kiran Thakor (28) alias Gediyo, and Deepak Thakor, both residents of Kadadara village in Gandhinagar, were arrested for the murder of Sagar and loot of the professor.Another loot caseA day after Parmar, Thakor and Thakor were arrested by Adalaj Police, a 24-year-old student from a Delhi-based university filed a complaint that he had been looted at knifepoint on the night of October 14, exactly 24 hours after the professor was looted.According to the FIR, at about 11:45 pm on October 13, when the student was sitting in his car parked beside the Narmada Canal, three men arrived on a bike and approached him. One of them brandished a knife and asked him to part with his valuables.The men took his gold ring, mobile phone and some cash and fled the scene. Since he had been traumatised by the incident, he came forward to file the complaint only 9 days later.Parmar’s ‘death in police encounter’Story continues below this adGandhinagar Range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Virendra Yadav, had in a press conference on September 24, said, “The investigation of the Vaibhav’s murder had been given to the LCB after Vipul alias Neel Vishnu Parmar had been apprehended and handed over to Gandhinagar Police. The LCB had taken Parmar to carry out a reconstruction of the events when he snatched the weapon of a police man and fired at the police, injuring LCB personnel Rajendrasinh.”LCB Constable Rajendrasinh Pravinsinh Vaghela was taken to Apollo Hospital where he underwent surgery and remains under treatment.Regarding the condition of Constable Rajendrasinh Pravinsinh Vaghela, SP Vasamsetty said, “There is damage to his muscles and veins. He will remain in the hospital for a few more days and recovery will take some time.”While Gujarat DGP Vikas Sahay visited Constable Vaghela on September 25, MoS Home Harsh Sanghavi visited him in hospital on September 26.Story continues below this adInspector General Yadav had added, “In response, the LCB personnel fired back in self defence and Parmar was killed (shot dead).”Manvani’s murder and Parmar’s arrestManvani and his friends were out celebrating his birthday on Friday (September 19). After that, at about 12:15 am on Saturday (September 20), they dropped a female friend near Tapovan Circle. Then Manvani and the woman came and sat in the car next to the Narmada Canal. At about 1:15 am, one person approached them and tried to loot them. The attacker stabbed them with a sharp weapon.While the 25-year-old man died on the spot, the woman ran from that place onto Tapovan-Koba road and sat down by the roadside. About 15 minutes later, she borrowed a passerby’s phone and informed her father.The 24-year-old woman, who, according to doctors at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, was in stable condition after undergoing surgery for four stab wounds she received in the attack, including on her neck and stomach.Story continues below this adOn September 23, Parmar was apprehended by the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of Ahmedabad City Police from Kagdadi village in Tankara taluka of Rajkot district.