The accused was allegedly involved in a house-breaking theft case, which was being heard regularly in the court but the suspect failed to appear before the court during the hearings after which a warrant was issued against him, an official said
The suspect arrested by police
The Pydhonie Police in Mumbai has successfully 're-arrested' an accused who had been allegedly absconding for the past 21 years after a criminal case was registered against him in 2002, the police said.
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The accused identified as Mastan Evahim Sheikh, was apprehended in a late-night operation after allegedly evading the cops action against him for over two decades, said an official.
The police said that the case dates back to 2002 under sections 380, 457, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
"The accused was allegedly involved in a house-breaking theft case, which was being heard regularly in the Court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, 22 Court, Mazgaon (Sewri), Mumbai. However, Sheikh had repeatedly failed to appear in court hearings, leading the court to declare him a fugitive," an official said.
The police said that the absconding accused was traced by a team led by Police Sub Inspector Anil Vayal, utilizing advanced technical tracking methods. The investigation revealed that Sheikh had been constantly changing his location, with his native village being in Chennai.
"He had managed to stay under the radar for years by frequently shifting his residence. On the night of October 23, the police received a tip-off about Sheikh's arrival in the Dharavi area. The team laid a trap and successfully apprehended him," the official said.
He was later brought to Pydhonie Police Station and placed under arrest, he said.