Pattanakkad police intercepted and arrested an accused driver near the Thanneermukkom Bund road after a high-speed, 300-kilometre vehicular chase across central Kerala, ending a 16-year manhunt tied to a fatal 2010 collision that claimed two lives.
Sixteen years of hiding unraveled in a single afternoon. State police confirmed on Wednesday that the accused had spent over a decade and a half living under an alias and forged address in neighboring Tamil Nadu to evade prosecution. In 2010, a vehicle driven by the suspect fatally struck two people near Thumboli in coastal Kerala before he fled the state.
Police secured their first actionable breakthrough on Diwali, receiving specific intelligence that the fugitive had slipped back into Kerala and was staying near Pattanakkad. Acting on directives issued by the district police chief, investigators quickly mobilized a special squad led by Cherthala Deputy Superintendent of Police Manjulal, Pattanakkad Sub-Inspector Dominic Mathew, Sub-Inspector Ratheesh, and Senior Civil Police Officer Arunkumar.
But the suspect caught wind of the net closing in. Realizing police teams were trailing him, he jumped into a vehicle and sped toward the Tamil Nadu border, attempting an escape corridor that ran through Changanassery, Thiruvalla, Pala, Erattupetta, Vagamon, and Kumily.
Pattanakkad police radioed border stations ahead of him. Officers at the Kumily and Vagamon checkpoints immediately fortified vehicular inspections along the mountain passes, sealing off the mountain transit routes. Cut off from his primary exit, the suspect abandoned the highland corridor and swung back through Kottayam district via the Vechoor-Kallara road.
Police teams chased him relentlessly across district lines. After tracking and pursuing his vehicle across roughly 300 kilometres, the Pattanakkad squad cut off his path near the Thanneermukkom Bund road, pinned his car, and overpowered him.
| Case Parameter | Official Police Record |
|---|---|
| Original Incident | Fatal 2010 collision killing two individuals near Thumboli |
| Fugitive Duration | 16 years on the run (in hiding since 2010) |
| Suspect Concealment Method | Assumed alias and fabricated residence in Tamil Nadu |
| Apprehending Unit | Pattanakkad Police Station, Cherthala Sub-Division |
| Interception Location | Near Thanneermukkom Bund Road, Kerala |
| Pursuit Distance | Approximately 300 kilometres across central Kerala districts |
Police have brought the accused into formal custody at Pattanakkad police station for identification processing and detailed interrogation regarding his forged documentation in Tamil Nadu, with investigators set to produce him before the local jurisdictional magistrate for formal remand proceedings.