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<p>Salim Yusif Zarda (55), a life-term convict involved in the 2002 Godhra train carnage, was arrested by Pune rural police in connection with a theft case. Zarda, who had jumped parole in September 2022, was apprehended for his role in stealing tyres and tubes worth ₹2.49 lakh from a truck in Junnar, Pune, on January 7.</p>
<p>The truck driver, Somnath Gaikwad (30) from Solapur, had filed a theft complaint at Alephata police station. Following the investigation, police discovered similar thefts in the Manchar and Sinnar areas. Further probing linked the crimes to an inter-state gang of thieves from Godhra, Gujarat.</p>
<p>On January 22, the police arrested five gang members, including Zarda and his accomplices&mdash;Sahil Pathan (21), Sufiyan Chanaki (23), Ayub Sunthiya (29), and Irfan Durvesh (41). A tempo truck and other stolen items, worth a total of ₹14.4 lakh, were recovered from the gang.</p>
<p>Inspector Dinesh Tayade from Alephata police station confirmed that Zarda was one of 31 individuals convicted for the 2002 Godhra incident. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment after a Gujarat high court commuted his death sentence. Zarda has jumped parole eight times and is implicated in 16 theft cases across Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. He was previously arrested in January 2023 by Gujarat police for a theft in Narmada district.</p>
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Salim Zarda arrested in Nashik after 8th parole violation, cops recover tempo truck & stolen items worth ₹14.4 lakh

Escaped Godhra Convict Nabbed for Theft

Salim Zarda arrested in Nashik after 8th parole violation, cops recover tempo truck & stolen items worth ₹14.4 lakh

February 3, 2025 | 10:01 IST