After 45 Years: How a 60-Year-Old Indian Man Was Finally Caught for a 1980 Wheat Theft

A man in his 60s from India has recently captured local attention after being arrested for a crime committed 45 years ago – stealing a sack of wheat with his friends.

Indian police (not directly related to the article’s main content) [AFP Yonhap News] [AFP Yonhap News]

According to NDTV and other sources on February 10, Salim Sheikh, 65, was unexpectedly apprehended by police on February 7 in the Kargone area of central Madhya Pradesh, India.

The arrest stems from an incident in 1980 when Sheikh, then in his 20s, allegedly stole wheat valued at 100 rupees (approximately 1,600 KRW or about 1.20 USD at current exchange rates) with six friends one night in the fields of Kargone.

Police reports indicate that high-quality wheat was priced between 100 and 115 rupees per 100 kg at the time of the theft.

NDTV suggests that Sheikh and his accomplices likely acted on a momentary impulse, noting that during that era, such minor crimes often went unpunished if the perpetrators fled the scene.

Following the theft, Sheikh escaped and settled about 100 km away from the crime scene, where he quietly ran a grocery store with his son for decades.

His recent arrest was the result of a special police campaign last month, during which law enforcement reviewed outstanding warrants and cold cases.

During the investigation, police confirmed that Sheikh’s accomplice, Salim Muhammad, who had also fled after the crime, had since passed away. It was through Muhammad’s relatives that authorities eventually learned of Sheikh’s whereabouts.

Following Sheikh’s arrest, the court denied his bail application and ordered his detention.

Sheikh reportedly expressed surprise, stating that he believed the police had forgotten about the case after so many years.

NDTV highlighted that Sheikh’s case has garnered public interest not due to the severity of the crime, but rather the unusually long time it took to resolve such a minor incident.

#India #Theft #46Years

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Lee Seong-seop (leess@yna.co.kr)