Manarcadu: A thief who gave the slip to cops from a police station here in Kottayam district was finally nabbed after two days of search operations by 20 teams of police on Sunday. He managed to spend 42 hours in hiding within 1.5 km of the Manarcadu police station before he was finally caught, again!
The accused, Dileep, was caught from the bushes in a homestead behind the Lions Club near Perumanoorkulam Junction. Dileep tried to jump into a pit and escape when he saw the police, but circle inspector K Hiji gave him the chase and caught him.
He was later presented before the court which remanded him.
Dileep, a resident of Thachukunnu at nearby Puthuppally, was arrested on Thursday over a theft at a house. He was being brought back to the police station after a medical examination at 10.10 pm on Friday when he gave the slip to the cops.
20 teams
The police had to deploy 20 teams to nab the runaway thief. Right from cops who were on leave to those who had been transferred to other places too were pressed into action. Local residents too came forward offering help. Within 42 hours, the police station received 62 phone calls from people who called in to report that they spotted Dileep.
The 19-year-old had four theft cases and a POCSO case registered against him in three police stations in Kottayam district.
Search ops
After he fled, Dileep hid himself in the bushes at a hill near Perumanoorkulam. As the cops and locals came after him, he then took refuge on top of a deserted house near the old KK Road. While hiding there, he tried to break out of the handcuffs. He spent most of Saturday there and came out in the evening. He got a bike lift and returned to Perumanoorkulam.
The bike rider grew suspicious of the man and informed the cops. Though the police reached the spot, Dileep managed to hide. He had chosen the place since it was next to his female friend’s house.
The police were monitoring three houses with which Dileep had relations. The cops had seized his mobile phone and had got his friends' details from the phone.
The cops were sure that Dileep won't be able to travel far because he neither had money on him nor a mobile phone. The cops laid siege in the area where he was dropped by the biker. There were six ways to get out from there. The cops blocked all six exit routes. Nine bike patrol teams were deployed.
In the net, finally
The local residents spotted someone leaving the house on Saturday night. When those in the house were questioned, they admitted that Dileep had visited them. The cops intensified their search and finally caught Dileep again.
Security breach
An inquiry report said that only one hand of the accused was handcuffed when he fled. The cops behind this security breach may have to face departmental action.
Curiously, Dileep was handcuffed only on one hand even when he was caught the second time.
The Kanjirappally DySP on Sunday submitted the enquiry report to the district police chief.
