Man held for crime committed 32 years ago

HUBLI: Not even in his wildest dreams, this habitual thief would have thought that he will be arrested one day for the theft he committed more than three decades ago and which he had almost forgotten.
But luck ran out for 55-year-old Bheemappa Jadhav, who was wanted by Hubli police since 1979 in a theft case, as he was arrested in Solapur, Maharashtra, and brought here on Wednesday.
Bendigeri inspector Pranesh Rotti told TOI that Jadhav, who hails from Solapur, was arrested by Ghantikeri police in 1979 with respect to a theft case in a garment shop. He later used the bail to flee from the city and never returned.
On innumerable occasions in the last three decades, police teams were dispatched to Solapur and other places of Maharashtra, following information on Jadhav's presence. But he escaped every attempt of the police to arrest him. Rotti said the habitual thief, who is also wanted by the Maharashtra police in various theft cases, used to shift places very often. He is so adept in his profession that even his relatives in Solapur have no clue on the whereabouts of him and his family.
On the other hand, the Hubli police were under constant pressure to arrest him as warrants were being issued by courts. On Tuesday, head constable I A Mirji and constable V C Hebbal left to Kolhapur on a specific information that Jadhav is in one of his relative's house in Kalgara area. This time the police were successful in arresting him.