Reporter Chronicles Billa's Escape and Mumbai's Notorious 1978 Manhunt
In the late 1970s Mumbai, Billa, a young criminal from Sion Koliwada, became notorious for robberies and harassment in areas like Dharavi and Powai Lake. Arrested in April 1978, he escaped dramatically from a Crime Branch cell on May 1, 1978, a day when police were preoccupied with Maharashtra Day duties. A reporter from The Indian Express, with sources inside the police, broke the story, highlighting the challenges faced by law enforcement during this high-profile manhunt.