Mumbai: For years, they stayed off the police radar, changing addresses, moving elsewhere or disappearing after securing bail. But the Mumbai police have recently traced absconders, some wanted for decades.
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During a drive from January 1 to March 31, police arrested 367 absconding accused. Of these, 18 were wanted in 2005 or earlier cases and had absconded for over 20 years; four in 2006- 2010 cases for 15-20 years; 10 in 2011-2016 cases for 10-15 years; 33 in 2016-2020 cases for five10 years; and 302 in 2021-2026 cases for up to five years.
Azad Maidan police traced an accused absconding since 1987, while N M Joshi Marg police arrested another wanted since 1988. Both were living outside Maharashtra under assumed identities. In July, Khar police arrested a 67-year-old man absconding for nearly 18 years in a 2008 theft case, tracing him to Goregaon East through technical intelligence. MIDC police arrested in Goa a man absconding for nine years in the 2017 murder of an Andheri scrap dealer.
Retired DCP Rohidas Dusar said habitual criminals often leave the city or state, change names and appearance, and avoid mobile phones. Victims may relocate, while investigating officers may be transferred or retire. Once an accused becomes untraceable, police initiate warrants and, where applicable, proclamation proceedings, but tracing requires investigation, local intelligence and interstate coordination.
Dusar said the Crime Branch watches criminals’ residences and relatives and sometimes monitors phones. “After a certain period, criminals often become careless and return to their previous places,” he said.
Retired ACP Rajendra Trivedi called such drives an “eyewash”, asking why accused in serious, high-profile crimes remain unarrested. He cited BMC officer Mahesh Patil, accused of cheating Habiba Jaffrey of crores, and former police commissioner Param Bir Singh, who remained untraced while his service was reportedly counted during his absence.
Phone records, financial transactions, property and vehicle details, social media and interstate databases now aid tracing. But time weakens prosecution as witnesses die or move, memories fade and documents disappear. The arrests underline the need for permanent, technology-driven monitoring and raise the question: how many are still missing, and why?
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