After 41 years of a legal battle over alleged theft of Rs 20, a man was relieved of the charges in a Lok Adalat held in Gwalior on Saturday, a court official said.

Judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) Anil Kumar Namdeo ordered to release the accused, Ismail Khan a resident of Gwalior, after taking an undertaking from him not to indulge in any kind of illegal activities in future, the court official said.

Complainant Babulal who is now 61 years old said Ismail Khan who is now 68 years old had stolen Rs 20 from his pocket in 1978 when he was standing in a cue to purchase a bus ticket.

“I registered a case against Khan in 1978 and Khan was released on bail after a few months. He used to come for the court hearing but he stopped coming from 2004. A warrant was issued and he was arrested in April 2019. Khan was in jail for the past three months,” he added.

“Khan doesn’t have any family and his financial condition is very poor. He didn’t have any money to file an application for his bail. Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) called both of us for hearing in Lok Adalat,” said Babulal.

First Published: Jul 13, 2019 20:12 IST