Daijiworld Media Network, Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 16: In a remarkable breakthrough, Mumbai Police have arrested a 71-year-old man who had been absconding for nearly five decades in connection with an attempt-to-murder case registered in 1977. The accused, identified as Chandrashekhar Kalekar, was traced to a remote coastal village in Ratnagiri district, where he had been living a quiet, reclusive life under a false identity.

According to police sources, Kalekar was accused of stabbing a woman in the Lalbaug area of Mumbai in 1977. After the incident, he went underground, evading multiple summons and legal notices, and eventually disappeared without a trace. Despite the long passage of time, Mumbai Police continued their efforts to locate him.

Acting on fresh intelligence and a thorough review of old case files, the police team began re-examining voters’ lists, residential records, and other documents. With the help of human intelligence and meticulous groundwork, officers finally tracked him down in Dapoli taluka on Tuesday morning.

Police officials revealed that Kalekar had moved between several areas over the years, including various Mumbai suburbs and Badlapur town in Thane district, before settling in Ratnagiri. His arrest marks the culmination of a persistent and patient investigation spanning 48 years.

“Even after decades, we did not close the file. We believed one day he would be traced,” a senior officer said, lauding the team’s determination and diligence.

Kalekar is now in police custody and will face due legal proceedings in connection with the decades-old case.