The Borivali Police on Saturday arrested a 73-year-old who has been on the run for nearly 32 years. A case was registered against Bala Vithal Pawar in 1990 for offences like robbery, criminal conspiracy and causing grievous hurt with deadly weapons. Pawar was then arrested but he came out on bail and managed to dodge the cops for three decades by changing his identity multiple times. As he didn't appear before the court despite multiple summons, he was declared as an absconder and a warrant was issued against him.
The investigating team had been checking for leads in the case to trace and locate Pawar. For months, no clues were found but a glimmer of hope appeared when a tip-off was received that the absconder was hiding in the Kalwandwadi area of Sindhudurg district. A team of police rushed in his search but again Pawar succeeded in giving a slip. During the search operation and interrogation with the villagers, the police got to know that he was in the village till January 2023.
The search operation was never called off, said a police official, adding that they received another tip-off earlier this month that Pawar was spotted near Bhayandar. This time again cops immediately traced his hideout but when they reached the address, they came to know that Pawar had sold his home and 'just' moved out.
As it was continuously proving difficult to nab the absconder, as he always took accommodation with different names. But the trail was on and luck ran out for Pawar when a third tip-off landed him in the police net. Mentally exhausted after being on constant run for several years, the elderly surrendered to the police without resistance.
He has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 397 (robbery or dacoity, 414 (voluntarily assisting in concealing or disposing of or making away with property which he knows or has reason to believe to be stolen property), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intent, with more than 1 people), etc. Pawar was presented in the court on Saturday.
