Ismail Khan, 68, from Gwalior in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, has been relieved of charges dating back to 1978, the Hindustan Times reports.

He had been accused by one Babulal, now 61, of stealing the money from his pocket in 1978 when they were both queuing for bus tickets.

“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 was released after promising not to indulge in any kind of illegal activity in the future, a court official said.