A 53-year-old man from Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra, Mahesh Sindhi, was arrested just days before his daughter’s wedding for a crime allegedly committed more than 30 years ago. The charge? Stealing a motorcycle in Ahmedabad in 1992.
Sindhi, who believed the case was long behind him, had built a peaceful life with a thriving business and a family. However, a renewed effort by the police to resolve cold cases brought his name back into the spotlight, leading to his arrest this week.
At the time of the alleged theft, Sindhi lived in Khanpur, an area of Ahmedabad’s old city. He was accused of stealing a motorcycle but disappeared off the radar as the case remained unresolved for years among a backlog of unsolved cases.
In the interim, Sindhi moved to Ulhasnagar, established a successful handicrafts business, and raised a family. He thought the case had been settled long ago, but police, reinvestigating old cases, uncovered an old FIR about the theft. Through technical surveillance, they tracked him down and arrested him on Wednesday.
Inspector P.T. Chaudhary remarked, “The complainant, co-accused, and key witnesses have all passed away. The stolen motorcycle was recovered years ago during a Lok Adalat. There’s little left to prosecute, except for the man himself.”
Devastated by his arrest, Sindhi pleaded with the police to delay the legal proceedings until after his daughter’s wedding, which was scheduled for next week. “He believed his lawyer had settled the case years ago. He didn’t run from the law; he simply moved on with his life,” said Chaudhary. “But the law doesn’t forget.”
Sindhi’s lawyer had reassured him that the case was resolved and that he was free, allowing him to focus on his business and family. However, he was unaware that the unresolved legal matter would resurface after so many years. Despite his emotional appeals, Sindhi remains in custody, with the police unable to accommodate his request due to the long-standing case against him.
