A 59-year-old man accused of stealing 90 kilograms of wheat in Madhya Pradesh in 1980 has been arrested after evading authorities for 45 years, police in Khargone district said.
The accused, identified as Salim, was apprehended from Bag town in neighbouring Dhar district, where he had been living under a changed identity. Police said he was running a small grocery (kirana) shop with his son while remaining undetected for decades.
The case dates back to 1980, when seven individuals were booked for allegedly stealing wheat stored in a field near Balsamud, about 80 km from Khargone district. At the time, the stolen wheat was valued at Rs184, with the rate fixed at Rs2.05 per kilogram.
Warrants were issued against all the accused. Over the years, two of them died, four secured bail, and Salim remained absconding.
Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Shweta Shukla said the arrest was made during a special drive aimed at tracing long-pending absconders. “On the directions of senior officers, teams were formed to track permanent absconders. During verification of a 1980 theft case, we found one accused still missing. He was traced to Bag in Dhar district and arrested,” she said.
Police said Salim had settled barely 90 km from the original crime scene and had managed to avoid detection by changing his identity. He was produced before the Kasrawad court and remanded to judicial custody.
Officials added that the breakthrough came while searching for another accused named Salim in Dewas, who was later found to have died. During inquiries with his family, police received a lead that the other absconding accused was living in Bag, which ultimately led to the arrest.
According to officers, Salim told investigators he believed the case had been forgotten over time and assumed police would no longer pursue it.
Further legal proceedings are underway.
