A 49-year-old man from Kerala, who had been absconding for 22 years in multiple criminal cases, including murder and attempt to murder, has been arrested in Bengaluru by the Kannur City police.

P. Rakesh, a resident of the Thavakkara in Kannur, had been wanted in three cases registered at the Kannur Town Police station. He was an accused in the 2001 murder of one Kombra Pradeepan, the 2004 murder of one Ravindran inside the Kannur Central Jail, and an attempt to murder one Yoganandan.

Rakesh had gone into hiding after being released on bail, following which the court declared him a proclaimed offender.

Probe by special team

The arrest followed a month-long investigation by a special team formed under the direction of Kannur District Police Chief Vijay Bharath Reddy. During inquiries in Rakesh’s native place, the police learned that he had previously worked in Bengaluru. An unclear photograph obtained from an old friend of his proved crucial to the investigation. With the help of police technical experts, the photograph was enhanced and used to expand the search to Bengaluru.

The police eventually traced him living under a different identity in Tharabanahalli, near Bengaluru.

Rakesh had been living there under the name Sabu. He had married a woman from Thrissur and had been residing there with his family for around 20 years. He worked in catering and reportedly spent most of his time at home after work, leaving local residents with little information about his past.

After nearly a week of surveillance and investigation centered on Tharabanahalli, the special team identified the house where Rakesh was staying.

Around midnight on Monday (August 17, 2026), the police team surrounded the house and took him into custody. Rakesh allegedly attempted to resist the arrest by trying to use a dog kept at the house against the police. The team, however, managed to overpower him and make the arrest.

Published - August 18, 2026 04:32 pm IST