Bhopal: 65-year-old year man arrested in 45-year-old theft case

A 65-year-old man was arrested in Madhya Pradesh for a 1980 wheat theft after evading capture for 45 years. Four others involved were previously arrested.

Updated on: Feb 10, 2026, 13:20:17 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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A 65-year-old man was arrested in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh on Monday, 45 years after he and six others stole 90kg wheat worth ₹100 in 1980. Of the seven, four accused were arrested and out on bail while two have died.

A resident of Dhar, Salim Khan, 65, was arrested in a theft case registered at Balkwada police station. Salim has been on the run since 1980. He ran a grocery store with his son in Bagh, Dhar district.

Shweta Shukla, Khargone sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP), said, “In 1980, Salim stole wheat crop kept in a field in Balsamud. At that time, the price of wheat was ₹115 per quintal. He was arrested from Bagh, Dhar district. He was produced before the court and he was sent to jail.” “Salim told police that he thought they would have forgotten about the case after so many years, so he resumed a normal life and was working without fear,” she added.

When the police went to the house of another accused in the same case, Salim Mohammad in Dewas, they learned of his death. The police returned with the death certificate.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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