Thrissur Rural Police apprehended a fugitive who walked over 350 kilometres from Delhi to Uttarakhand to evade arrest. The accused, Shajahan (29), also known as Shejir, of Puthiyaveettil house in Chazhoor, was arrested from Uttarakhand on Friday. He had been working in disguise at an eatery, dressed in Punjabi attire to conceal his identity.

Shajahan, a close aide of notorious gangster Kaikkuru Ragesh and an accused in multiple criminal cases, had fled the state after allegedly attacking a 63-year-old woman. On March 17, Shajahan, along with co-accused Sreebin, stormed into the house of a woman named Soumya in Peringottukara, threatened her son Adithya Krishnan with a machete, and assaulted Soumya’s aunt, Leela of Kathikkudath house, who tried to intervene. He struck Leela’s left arm with the weapon and then fled the scene. The Anthikkad police registered a case against the duo.

In another incident, Shajahan allegedly entered the house of a young woman in Kattur, threatened her with a knife, and stole a mobile phone worth around ₹14,000. When the woman’s daughter attempted to report the theft, he harassed and intimidated her. The Kattur police registered two separate cases in connection with the incident.

Following the attack on Leela, the police intensified their search. To evade detection, Shajahan avoided using mobile phones and long-distance public transport, instead choosing to walk long distances across states — a journey that took several days.

Based on intelligence reports indicating that the accused might be hiding in Uttarakhand due to past criminal links, Thrissur Rural SP B Krishnakumar and Range DIG Harishankar initiated ‘Operation Khaattima’. A special team led by Irinjalakuda DYSP K G Suresh was formed to track him down.

After two days of undercover surveillance and with assistance from the Sitarganj Police, the Kerala team launched a swift operation and apprehended Shajahan from a roadside eatery in Sitarganj. He was produced before a local court in Uttarakhand and later brought back to Kerala. On Friday, he was presented before the Irinjalakuda court and remanded.

Shajahan faces at least seven criminal cases, including attempted murder, at the Anthikkad police station. He also has charges related to robbery, trespassing, and assault registered at the Valappad, Kaipamangalam, and Kattur stations.

The arrest team comprised DYSP K G Suresh, Anthikkad Inspector A S Sarin, Kattur Inspector E U Baiju, SIs M Arun Kumar, Josy Jose, Naushad A K, and senior CPOs E S Jeevan, K S Umesh, and Surjith Sagar.