Man held 34 years after he jumped bail

DURING INTERROGATION, 58-YEAR-OLD RAJU BABULAL CHOUDHARY TOLD THE POLICE THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE CASE

MUMBAI: In the first week of May, the Malad police arrested a 58-year-old man who had been absconding after jumping bail 34 years ago. Raju Babulal Choudhary was 25 years old when he was arrested for kidnapping a 17-year-old girl in 1985. The police said Raju had kidnapped Maina, now 50, from near a cinema hall in Malad (West).

Based on a complaint filed by Maina’s mother Babli, now 68, the police filed a first-information report against Raju under section 366 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code and arrested him in 1985. After securing bail, Raju married Maina and allowed Babli to stay with them. However, Babli did not inform the police about their marriage.

All three lived in a slum pocket near Sahdev Manik Chawl in Kurar village at Malad (East). A few years later, the chawl and the slums were demolished. The trio left the area without informing anyone and moved to Vikramgad village in Palghar district. During this period, a local court declared Raju an absconder as he failed to surrender before the police after his bail expired.

In 2017, a team from Malad police compiled a list of absconders, which included Raju, and launched a manhunt to arrest them.

The team recently traced one of Raju’s relatives, who told them he was supposed to visit Koknipada in Kurar village earlier this month.

A trap was laid and Raju was arrested on May 6.

During interrogation, he told the police that he had forgotten about the case. Raju was produced in a local court, which granted him bail on a surety of ₹6,000. The amount was paid by one of his two sons.