- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Mon, 03 Feb 2025 12:25 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Pune Police arrested a 55-year-old life-term convict in the Godhra train carnage case, who had been absconding after jumping parole. The accused, identified as Salim alias Salman Yusif Zarda, was apprehended on January 22 in connection with multiple thefts in rural areas of Pune district.
According to Pune Rural Police, tyres and tubes worth Rs 2.49 lakh were stolen from a truck in Junnar area in the early hours of January 7. An FIR was lodged by truck driver Somnath Gaikwad (30) of Solapur at the Alephata police station of Pune rural police.
Zarda was among the 31 people who were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Godhra train burning case. He had been granted a seven-day parole on September 17, 2024, but failed to return, leading to his status as an absconder. In the Godhra train carnage case, 59 lost their lives when the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express was set ablaze on February 27, 2002.
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Following his arrest in Pune, authorities discovered his involvement in at least three theft cases in the region.
"On January 22, we arrested him and his gang members in a theft case, who used to carry out thefts in rural parts of Pune. During the investigation, his connection to the Godhra train carnage case was revealed," news agency PTI quoted Alephata police station's inspector Dinesh Tayde as saying.
Pune Police recovered a tempo truck and other stolen items worth Rs 14.4 lakhs from the accused. The accused along with Salim Zarda, included—Sahil Pathan (21), Sufiyan Chanaki (23) Ayub Sunthiya (29) and Irfan Durvesh (41), all hailing from Godhra.
