Kayamkulam: Kalathil Veettil Appunni, who was arrested in connection with the murder of former radio jockey R Rajesh Kumar, followed a distinctive style when it came to execution of quotation works.
Hailing from a well-to-do family at Desathinakam near Kayamkulam, his transition from a carefree youth to a dreaded criminal was sudden. The 29-year-old, who loves wearing trendy clothes and branded accessories, had close links with an accused in the murder of Kayamkulam-based businessman and a quotation gang leader in Mavelikkara, and it is assumed it was them who lured him into the ‘gang lifestyle’.
Appunni and his gang used to terrorise local people by staging ‘roadshows’. They would come in a fleet of motorcycle waving weapons in an apparent attempt to intimidate locals, the police said.
He used to travel to Bengaluru quite often in the recent past claiming that he was working there. The police are probing whether he had links with quotation gangs there.
Appunni had as many as 15 criminal cases registered against him at police stations in Kayamkulam, Mavelikkara, Thrikkunnapuzha, Nooranad and Kurathikad. He is an accused in the murder case of Kenni alias Praveen of at Mavelikkara in 2012 and a hand-chopping case at Arattupuzha.
He had been detained under the provisions of the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).
It was learnt that Appunni had been absconding for the past two years after a local court issued an arrest warrant for failing to appear for consecutive hearings in a case.
He befriended Salih bin Jalal alias Alibhai, the prime accused in the Rajesh Kumar murder case, while he was in the Gulf a couple of years ago, which led to his involvement in the killing, the police said.
It was Appunni who arranged the car through one of his friends in which the quotation gang travelled. Initially, it was suspected that he might have fled the country after committing the crime, but the police got vital leads during interrogations of Alibhai, leading to his arrest.
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