Women attacked in Kochi: Main accused Akbar Ali arrested from Palakkad

Akbar Ali, the main accused in the case related to the attack on two young women in Kochi earlier this week, has been arrested by the Ernakulam Town North police team from Palakkad. He was arrested by the police from Cheepulassery with the assistance of the Cherpulassery police.

According to Ernakulam Town North police, the accused was taken into custody on Saturday evening from a roadside shop in Cherpulassery, Palakkad, where he was spotted while waiting to get his car modified.

Investigators revealed that the accused had been constantly on the move to evade the police, choosing to live out of his vehicle rather than returning to his residence. Although his location had been tracked to Ernakulam the previous day, his lack of a permanent hideout delayed his capture until local authorities intercepted him on the road.

"The accused was trying to leave the state. He was moving from place to place like that. He wasn't going home; he was staying in the vehicle itself. Finally, his mobile phone location was traced to Cheepulassery, and we arrested him," police sources told Onmanorama regarding his evasion tactics.

The police confirmed that Akbar Ali remains in police custody in Palakkad and is expected to reach Kochi by late night on Saturday, with formal remand proceedings scheduled for Sunday. The police will also file an application for his custody for further questioning and investigation in the case. Meanwhile, a search is actively underway to apprehend the two women co-accused associated with the case, who are expected to be arrested soon.

The incident occurred on Chakkalappadam Road in Kaloor when the two women, who were returning to their hostel after completing a night shift around 4 am on June 2. A group of six men and two women allegedly passed sexually coloured and vulgar remarks at them. 

The police said the attack turned violent after one of the victims attempted to record the incident on her mobile phone. The accused allegedly twisted her arm, snatched the phone and smashed it repeatedly on the road. As she tried to retrieve the damaged device, members of the group grabbed her by the hair, slammed her head onto the ground, dragged her by the legs and repeatedly kicked her.

Following the incident, three men, identified as Alvin, Arun and Sabith, were arrested on Tuesday. They are all natives of Mannarkad in Palakkad.

According to the police, Akbar Ali was a habitual offender, and investigators had come across information regarding his business activities that warrants further scrutiny. Following this, a parallel inquiry was launched into the accused's financial and commercial operations.