Man who attempted to kill girlfriend in 1977 arrested after 48 years on the run

 

By Sagaya Fernando | October 16, 2025

Mumbai, Maharashtra, INDIA: In an extraordinary turn of events, Mumbai’s Colaba Police have arrested a 71-year-old man who had been absconding for nearly five decades in connection with an attempted murder case dating back to 1977.

The accused, Chandrashekhar Madhukar Kalekar, was taken into custody from his residence in Dapoli, Ratnagiri district, on Monday night. He was just 23 years old when he allegedly tried to kill his girlfriend after suspecting her of infidelity.

The 1977 Crime

According to police records, Kalekar attacked his then-girlfriend with a knife in Colaba, leaving her grievously injured. He was arrested soon after and later released on bail. However, once released, Kalekar stopped attending court proceedings, leading to multiple arrest warrants being issued against him over the years. Eventually, he was declared a proclaimed offender.

“He disappeared completely after securing bail. Despite several efforts over the decades, we could not trace him,” said a senior officer from Colaba Police Station.

The Trail Goes Cold

At the time of the incident, Kalekar lived in Haji Kasam Chawl in Lalbaug. However, when the chawl was redeveloped, the accused relocated, erasing all traces of his whereabouts. The investigation into his disappearance was revived about six months ago under the supervision of Additional Commissioner of Police Abhinav Deshmukh and DCP Pravin Munde.

A team led by Sub-Inspector Sachin Taware revisited the old files and began tracing Kalekar’s possible locations over the years. They visited multiple areas — Santacruz, Goregaon, Badlapur, and Mahim — based on leads that he might have lived there. However, none of the addresses yielded results.

“We even checked voter lists and public records, but his name was not found anywhere,” said a police official.

The Breakthrough

The breakthrough came when investigators turned to court and transport department databases. While combing through records, they discovered that a person named Chandrashekhar Madhukar Kalekar had been booked in a 2015 road rage case at Dapoli Police Station, Ratnagiri, for injuring another man.

“Though we weren’t certain it was the same individual, the details matched his age and name. We decided to verify it in person,” the officer added.

On Monday night, a police team reached the Dapoli address listed in the old case file. To their astonishment, Kalekar was found living there.

“He was visibly shocked when we told him why we were there. He had almost forgotten about the 1977 case,” the officer said.

Arrest After 48 Years

Police said Kalekar’s appearance had changed drastically over the decades, making identification difficult. “We had only a few black-and-white photographs from the 1970s. Despite the time gap, when questioned, he admitted to his involvement in the crime,” the officer added.

Kalekar was brought to Mumbai on Tuesday and produced before the trial court, which remanded him to judicial custody till October 17.

“The arrest marks the closure of one of the city’s oldest pending attempted murder cases,” the police officer said.

Key Details:

Accused: Chandrashekhar Madhukar Kalekar, 71

Crime Year: 1977

Crime: Attempted murder of girlfriend in Colaba

Place of Arrest: Dapoli, Ratnagiri district

Time on the Run: 48 years

Investigation Led By: Sub-Inspector Sachin Taware, under DCP Pravin Munde

Current Status: Remanded to judicial custody till October 17