A 16-year-long manhunt came to an end on Monday with the arrest of Shajith Areeparambil, an accused in a theft case who had been absconding since 2010. The CB-CID wing of the territorial police apprehended Areeparambil from his native place in Kerala.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime and Intelligence, Nithya Radhakrishnan, Areeparambil, a resident of Kannur in Kerala, had been evading arrest for over a decade and a half. He had absconded during the trial stage of the case in Puducherry, prompting a prolonged investigation to track him down.
The accused was finally arrested from Malappuram in Kerala after a thorough surveillance operation. Areeparambil is alleged to have been involved in multiple cases of vehicle theft, dacoity, cheating, and property-related offenses across several states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
To evade arrest, Areeparambil had been changing his identity and place of stay, making it challenging for the authorities to track him down. His arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the case, which had been pending for over 16 years.
