In a major crackdown, Mumbai Police arrested 367 wanted and absconding accused during a special drive carried out between January 1 and March 31, 2026, officials said.
The special campaign was launched on the directions of the Mumbai Police Commissioner to trace and apprehend accused who had been evading arrest for years.
Of the 367 accused arrested during the drive, 18 had been absconding for 20 years or more, police said.
Among the notable arrests, Azad Maidan Police apprehended an accused who had been on the run since 1987, while NM Joshi Marg cops arrested another accused who had been absconding since 1988.
According to police data, the year-wise breakup of arrests includes:
2005 and before (20+ years): 18
2006 to 2010 (15-20 years): 4
2011 to 2015 (10-15 years): 10
2016 to 2020 (5-10 years): 33
2021 to 2026 (0-5 years): 302
In a press note, the police said the drive was highly successful in tracing long-time fugitives who had managed to evade the law for decades.
The arrests are expected to help in faster disposal of several long-pending cases in courts across Mumbai, the police added.
Trombay Police trace 72-year-old absconder after 45 years in 1981 attempt-to-murder case
In a breakthrough driven largely by human intelligence, Trombay Police, earlier this month, arrested 72-year-old Popat Govind Vaydande, who had been absconding for 45 years in an attempt-to-murder case registered in 1981.
The case was recently reopened after a court sought a search report and issued a proclamation under Section 82 of the CrPC, formally declaring him an absconder and directing him to appear — an order he had evaded for decades.
As the probe progressed, police pieced together his past, including multiple offences involving violence, and confirmed that he had been externed from Mumbai in 1981. Inputs led them to Shenoli in Satara district, where he had once lived with a woman named Begum.
At Shenoli railway station, officers located Begum, now 74, living in a hut under a bridge. A former street dancer, she had separated from him years ago due to his alcohol-fuelled violence. While she could offer limited information due to her age, her daughter provided a crucial lead, indicating that he had moved towards Sangli district.
Police said Vaydande has more than nine cases registered across Maharashtra, along with multiple marriages and a history of violence and alcohol abuse, which often exposed his whereabouts.
The first breakthrough came when police revisited 1981 case records. Though no direct trace of the accused was initially found, officers identified a friend linked to him in PNG Colony, Govandi. While the man had died, a family member recalled a surname used by the accused as a cover, pointing towards a possible link to Sangli, said PSI Sharad Nanekar, the investigating officer.
With no photograph, mobile number or digital footprint, police worked on minimal clues — a cover surname and physical features recalled by relatives. Teams, along with local police and informants in Sangli, began tracking individuals matching the description.
Locals knew him as “mama”, a drifter who never stayed in one place for more than six months. He survived on odd jobs at garages and farms, constantly moving to avoid detection.
Acting on a final tip-off, police reached Ambegaon in Kadegaon taluka, where Vaydande was found resting in a field after work. He was arrested on the spot, and his identity was confirmed using a voter ID card.
0 Comments