Bringing an end to a massive manhunt that lasted 10 days, the Thiruvananthapuram Rural police nabbed the key conspirator in the murder of 32-year old Sudheesh in Pothencode on Monday.
The second accused in the case, Rajesh alias ‘Ottakam’ Rajesh, 33, of Azhoor in Chirayinkeezhu was apprehended by the investigators from the KSRTC bus station in Kollam during the wee hours of the day. With his arrest, all the 11 people who are suspected to have direct involvement in the murder have been brought to book.
Rajesh was apprehended two days after a civil police officer, S. Balu, attached to the Special Armed Police (SAP) camp had drowned while a team had gone in his pursuit to an island near Varkala.
Shortly after the demise, the investigation team received a tip-off that the accused had fled to Palani from where he contacted a friend. However, the notorious gangster, who is involved in 28 criminal cases, fled from the place fearing the possibility of getting caught. Later, he reached Ernakulam from where he contacted the same friend using a stranger’s phone.
Anticipating his return to Thiruvananthapuram to surrender at a court, the police established contact with KSRTC officials in Kochi. Their suspicion proved to be right as the accused boarded an Ernakulam – Kattakada Superfast bus. He was apprehended soon after the bus reached Kollam. After interrogating him in the Varkala police station, his arrest was subsequently recorded in the Pothencode police station.
A team led by Pothencode station house officer K. Shyam took the accused to recover a machete from Sasthavattam in Chirayinkeezhu. The weapon is suspected to have been used to murder Kalloor native Sudheesh. He was subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
While nearly 50 police officers were deployed to apprehend Rajesh, nearly 40 others were stationed in the vicinity of six courts in the district to prevent him from surrendering, sources said. The investigation team was led by District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram rural) P.K. Madhu and Nedumangad Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Raj Prasad.
Sanjaykumar Gurudin, Deputy Inspector General, Thiruvananthapruam Range, said the police will interrogate the accused to probe the conspiracy angle. The possibility of the involvement of more people will also be investigated. He added preventive action has also been adopted in anticipation of further retaliation in the case.
