A life convict in the 2002 Godhra train carnage case, who had absconded after jumping parole, has been arrested in Pune district, Maharashtra, in connection with a theft case, police said on Monday.
The Pune rural police arrested Salim Jarda, 55, on January 22. He was among 31 individuals sentenced to life imprisonment for the Godhra train carnage. Jarda had been granted a seven-day parole on September 17, 2024, but failed to return to prison and subsequently went missing.
Inspector Dinesh Tayde of Alephata police station said, “On January 22, we arrested him and his gang members in a theft case. They used to carry out thefts in rural parts of Pune. During the investigation, his connection to the Godhra train carnage case was revealed.”
Further investigation uncovered three theft cases allegedly committed by Jarda, Tayde added.
“He used to come from Godhra in Gujarat to Pune district with his gang and carry out the thefts,” he said.
Jarda had been convicted for his role in setting fire to the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express in Godhra on February 27, 2002, which resulted in the deaths of 59 people.
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