NAVI MUMBAI, Sept. 5 -- Five people related to a murder convict out on bail were rescued in a dramatic operation in Panvel on Wednesday night after the convict held them hostage at knife point over a property dispute. The operation spanned more than three hours, with policemen first negotiating with the convict before confronting and overpowering him and rescuing all the captives unharmed. Four police personnel sustained injuries during the incident and were treated at the Sub-District Hospital in Panvel, police officers aware of the matter told Hindustan Times. According to the police, the incident occurred at Mangala Nivas opposite the old tehsil office in Panvel. Around 8.30pm on Wednesday, the accused, 35-year-old Siban Babulal Mahato, who was convicted in a 2018 murder case and released on bail on August 28, barged into his relative's rented flat (room number 401) in the building. Armed with a sickle and an axe, he locked himself inside the flat and took his mother, brother, and three other relatives hostage. "The crisis stemmed from a long-running dispute over a plot of land," said deputy commissioner of police, zone 3, Prashant Mohite. After barging into the flat, Mahato claimed that his mother was the owner of the plot on which the building (Mangala Nivas) stood and the builder had usurped the land. He sought to get the building vacated and stated repeatedly that he was not afraid of the consequences of claiming what he believed was rightfully his, Mohite said. On receiving a complaint about the hostage situation, a special team led by senior inspector Nitin Thackeray, inspector Shakir Patel, and sub-inspector Pragya Munde reached the spot and tried talking to Mahato. But he became aggressive and threatened to attack with a sickle anyone who tried to meddle with him. With negotiations collapsing, the police, assisted by the fire brigade, forced open the flat's door. They used chilli spray to weaken Mahto, but he hardly flinched and instead turned his rage towards his niece, holding her at knife point. "He pressed a sickle to his 16-year old niece's throat, warning officers at the door that he would kill her if they entered the flat. Naik Samrat Daki and constable Sainath Mokal displayed extraordinary courage by acting swiftly and overpowering the accused when he was distracted amidst the chaos," said senior inspector Thakare. Police naik Ravindra Pardhi suffered deep wounds to his shoulder and arm while constables Madhav Shewale and Sainath Mokal sustained multiple injuries when Mahato attacked them with the axe. Police naik Samrat Daki was severely injured on his hand when he blocked a sickle blow. The operation concluded around 11:40pm with all five hostages rescued safely. Mahato was arrested on the spot, and the sickle and axe were seized from him as evidence. The injured policemen were rushed to the Sub-District Hospital, where doctors reported them to be stable after receiving treatment. The Panvel city police subsequently registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act, based on a complaint by inspector Pragya Munde. DCP Mohite praised the team's courage, saying, "This was a nerve-wracking situation. Our officers risked their lives to ensure the hostages were saved without harm. Their bravery deserves the highest recognition."...