55-year-old accused in five theft cases in Mumbai in the 90s acquitted

A sessions court on Wednesday acquitted a 55-year-old man in five cases of theft lodged between 1991 and 1995. The man, who suffers from paralysis, was arrested

A sessions court on Wednesday acquitted a 55-year-old man in five cases of theft lodged between 1991 and 1995. The man, who suffers from paralysis, was arrested in March last year after he jumped bail in 1995.

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As per the prosecution’s case, the accused, Sanjay Bodhe, was booked in five cases of house trespass and theft between 1991 and 1995 by Matunga police station. The prosecution claimed that he was arrested on September 20, 1995, and released on bail in 1995. Since then, he did not return to attend the case hearing.

“He has been acquitted from all five cases by the court for want of evidence,” said Bodhe’s lawyer RG Gadgil.

In one of the cases, Bodhe, with the help of another accused, entered a wine shop and fled with cash, jewellery, liquor and other valuables on January 16, 1991. He was booked in four similar cases of robbery by Matunga police station.

The prosecution had pleaded that a non-bailable warrant was issued against him in 1999 and in January 2005, Bodhe was declared a proclaimed offender. However, he was not traced and his file was stored in the court as dormant until March 2019.

With efforts of the police, the case was reopened and Bodhe was traced to Satara. He was arrested in March 2019 and booked in all five cases. He was in prison since his arrest.

While seeking bail for him earlier, Gadgil had pleaded that the accused is suffering from paralysis and is seriously ill. His bail plea was, however, rejected by the court which observed that he could abscond again.