After 48 Years on the Run, Mumbai Police Arrest Man in 1977 Attempted Murder Case
Introduction
In an extraordinary twist to a decades-old case, the Mumbai Police have arrested a 71-year-old man wanted for attempting to murder his girlfriend in 1977. The arrest comes nearly five decades after the crime, marking one of the longest manhunts in the city’s history.
A Case Frozen in Time
The accused, Chandrashekhar Madhukar Kalekar, was just 23 years old when he allegedly attacked his girlfriend with a knife in Colaba, suspecting her of infidelity. Though he was arrested shortly after the incident, Kalekar was released on bail — and then vanished.
For years, the Colaba Police issued multiple warrants and eventually declared him a proclaimed offender when he stopped appearing in court. Despite numerous search attempts, Kalekar remained untraceable as he moved away from his residence in Haji Kasam Chawl, Lalbaug, which was later redeveloped.
Cold Case Reopened After Decades
Nearly 48 years later, the Colaba Police decided to revisit the cold case. Investigators combed through old court records, electoral rolls, and public databases, but the accused’s name was missing everywhere.
However, a critical lead emerged when officers discovered a 2015 criminal record under Kalekar’s name at Dapoli Police Station in Ratnagiri district — related to a road rage incident in which he allegedly injured another man.
Following this clue, a police team traveled to Dapoli and located a residence matching the old record. To their astonishment, the man living there was indeed Chandrashekhar Kalekar — now 71 and nearly unrecognizable from his youth.
A Fugitive Caught After Half a Century
When police confronted him at his home on Monday night, Kalekar was reportedly stunned.
“He had completely forgotten about the case. When we mentioned the 1977 incident, he went silent for several minutes,” said a senior officer.
His physical appearance had changed drastically, making identification challenging, but officers confirmed his identity through interrogation. Kalekar later confessed to the attack and was taken into custody.
Justice, Delayed but Delivered
Kalekar was produced before a Mumbai court, which has remanded him to judicial custody. The police say the case stands as a reminder that justice, though delayed, never disappears.
“This arrest shows that time may fade memories, but the law never forgets,” a police spokesperson said.
A Lesson in Persistence
The case showcases the persistence of Mumbai’s law enforcement, who relied on new technology, digital databases, and old-fashioned investigation to close a file that had been dormant for nearly half a century.
As the investigation continues, authorities are also examining how Kalekar managed to evade the system for so long and build a new life while remaining wanted in one of Mumbai’s oldest pending cases.