Picture for representation. | Photo Credit: Hind
In the middle of growing concerns about unidentified individuals who broke into homes along the forest edges of Sabarimal, the district police Pathanamthita arrested rape, which has been on the run for more than ten years. The man lived deep inside the forests without a mobile phone, permanent stay or even in a photo on police records.
The defendant, Appukuttan (39), a native of Manjatt, was captured near the Tamil border in Aryankav by a special investigation team from the Pampa Police Station. The team spent the days fought against the woods and navigated the extremely hard terrain in an effort to a refugee that often shifted places
“The breakthrough came after nine months when the team passed through the forest regions across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Tribal Community in the region did not cooperate or provided any useful information,” the higher official said.
Appukuttan was originally arrested in 2011 for the alleged sexual assault of two tribal women. After securing the deposit he escaped without attending the court. Although he was briefly taken into custody, he disappeared soon after the bail was granted for the second time.
Under the supervision of the Deputy Police Director of the morning R. Jayaraje, a special team was created, the operation led by the inspector of Pampa CK Manoj. The team started a series of searching throughout the forest, which has also expanded to tribal settlements.
In the end, the officials were given intelligence, suggesting that the accused lived is isolated deep in the forest.
The investigation was extended across the borders that he could move to Tamil Nadu. Officers camp in Tamil Nadu for several days to intensify the runhunt. In the end, they gathered information that the accused was moving between different places in Tamil Nadu and was sometimes observed in Puliyara, near the border of Kerala-Tamil Nadu.
“With the help of the Tamil forest department, our officers made targeted search in these areas,” the official added. The breakthrough finally came when the accused was imprisoned near the Aryankava checkpoint.
Even during his arrest and subsequent medical examination, the accused allegedly tried to intimidate and physically face police officers. In the end, he was suppressed and made before a court that transferred him to his judicial custody.
There were similar reports that indicate that the presence of solitary individuals living deep inside the Pathanamthitty forests also on earlier occasions. One such individual, which is assumed that he has resorted to the forest caves, was associated with the repeated steal of food from houses on forest edges.
Published – 8 June 2025 20:08
