48 Years on the Run: Mumbai Police Finally Capture Man Wanted for 1977 Attempted Murder

Mumbai's Colaba Police have achieved a remarkable breakthrough by apprehending a 71-year-old fugitive who had evaded authorities for 48 years following an attempted murder case from 1977.

The suspect, Chandrashekhar Madhukar Kalekar, was taken into custody from his residence in Dapoli, Ratnagiri district. At the time of the alleged crime, Kalekar was just 23 years old.

Police reports indicate that Kalekar had attacked his girlfriend with a knife in Colaba after developing suspicions about her fidelity. Though initially arrested and later released on bail, he subsequently failed to appear for any court proceedings.

A senior officer from Colaba Police stated, "After receiving bail, he ceased attending court proceedings. Numerous warrants were issued against him over the decades, and he was eventually classified as a proclaimed offender. Our department had been searching for him for many years."

The investigation stalled when Kalekar, previously a resident of Haji Kasam Chawl in Lalbaug, relocated following the redevelopment of the chawl. Six months ago, Colaba Police reopened the case and initiated a fresh investigation. Officers visited his former residence only to discover a newly developed building had replaced the chawl. They conducted extensive searches throughout Mumbai, examining voter registries and public records, but found no trace of him.

"We couldn't locate him through electoral records. We then began examining court documents and transport department databases. This led us to discover a 2015 criminal case filed against him at Dapoli Police Station involving a road rage incident that resulted in injury," explained the officer.

Despite uncertainty about whether Kalekar still resided at the address listed in the Dapoli case, a police team visited the location late Monday night and surprisingly found him there. "He was astonished to see police at his doorstep after 48 years. The case had almost faded from his memory," the officer mentioned.

Now 71, Kalekar's appearance had changed drastically from when he was 23 at the time of the alleged crime.

"Identifying him based on decades-old photographs proved challenging. However, when questioned, he admitted to the crime," police officials reported.

Kalekar has been presented before the court and remanded to judicial custody.