Wayanad: A habitual offender, who had been banished from Wayanad for a year under provisions of the Kerala Anti-social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA), was arrested again from the district for a series of crimes just 21 days later.
Aalakkal Veettil Rafeeq (39) was arrested Thursday evening after residents of Kalliyattukunnu waylaid him during a robbery and handed him over to the Mananthavadi Police.
Rafeeq was caught stealing Rs 460 and cigarettes from the locality.
However, the forensic team of the police found that he committed a series of other thefts in the district as early as July 16; that is just ten days after DIG North Zone (Kannur Range), Putta Vimaladitya, issued a special order to banish him from Wayanad.
Footwear marks at crime scene
The Mananthavadi Police were after an unknown culprit who had committed a series of thefts at Varadimoola on July 16.
The thief had entered the Vanitha Mess to steal knives, with which he broke into the Bismi Store and also stole from Anna Store. A total of Rs 13,000 was stolen. The cops had found marks left by slippers near the crime scenes.
Once Rafeeq was arrested, the cops sent the imprint of his slipper to the forensics and it came a match. “The slippers of the accused led to the unfolding of the case,” the police said.
Apart from cases in Wayanad such as in the Kenichira police station limits, there are three cases registered against Rafeeq in Kottayam's Manarcad. Besides, he was accused in an NDPS case, for smuggling ganja.
What's next for the KAAPA violator?
The DIG had banished him from the district based on a report submitted by Inspector Abdul Karim of Mananthavady Circle under which Rafeeq is a resident. Apart from a ban on entering Wayanad, it was mandatory for Rafeeq to intimate the police stations of the localities he lived in during the punishment period.
However, as the restrictions under KAAPA were violated, police plans to impose section 3 of the Act that would send him to six years in prison.
On Friday, Rafeeq was produced at the First Class Judicial Magistrate Court, Mananthavady and remanded to judicial custody.
