Kochi: A fresh case has been registered against absconding history-sheeter Arjun Ayanki for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Facebook, even as police continue a statewide hunt to track him down.

The Ernakulam Rural Cyber Crime Police registered a case against him on Friday night under Section 192 of the BNS (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot), Section 296(b) of the BNS (uttering obscene words or making obscene sounds in or near a public place), and Section 67 of the IT Act, 2000 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form).

The case followed an email complaint submitted by a person named Manoj Jose Azhakath to the State Police Chief on August 7. The complaint was subsequently forwarded through the Cyber Operations Police Chief to the office of the Ernakulam Rural District Police Chief.

Following an assessment of the complaint, the Ernakulam Rural Cyber Crime Police Station registered the FIR and initiated an investigation.

According to the FIR, Ayanki published a post on his public Facebook profile at 9.52 pm on August 5 containing derogatory remarks targeting Satheesan. The police allege that the post was intended to defame the CM in public, corrupt the minds of viewers and provoke public disorder or a riot.

The FIR quotes the Facebook post attributed to Ayanki “I am a person who wants to say not that Pinarayi Vijayan was better than this, but that Oommen Chandy was better than this. There is no greater shame for the people of Kerala than having such a clown, a liar, a deceitful liar whose word has no value sitting in the Chief Minister's chair.”

The fresh case comes amid an intensified manhunt for Ayanki, who is already wanted in connection with allegations of threatening and abusing police officers through social media.

A 10-member special squad supervised by the Muvattupuzha DySP has been formed to track him down. The police intensified the search after Ayanki allegedly released abusive voice messages and social media posts targeting the Kothamangalam and Oonnukal Station House Officers following his release on bail in an earlier criminal conspiracy case.

Ayanki was arrested on May 3 along with associates during a pre-dawn raid at a resort in Kothamangalam, two days ahead of the state assembly polls. After securing bail, he allegedly accused the police of framing false cases against him and subsequently escalated his attacks on the officers through social media. Fresh cases were registered against him.

The search operation was expanded across multiple districts after police traced Ayanki’s mobile tower location to Thrissur. CCTV footage also showed his vehicle crossing the Paliyekkara toll plaza. However, investigators suspect that he switched vehicles to evade digital tracking.

Despite the police operation, Ayanki continued to taunt law enforcement authorities online, posting claims that he was “waiting at the Vadakkunnathan Temple grounds”.

As part of the ongoing manhunt, police took his brother, Akhil Ayanki, into custody from Thrissur for allegedly helping him evade arrest. Two associates from Kannur have also been detained for allegedly providing logistical support and shelter to the fugitive.

The police said that coordinated raids are continuing at multiple locations linked to Ayanki’s network as efforts to apprehend him intensify.

Ayanki, a former DYFI activist, first came to widespread public attention in 2021 after being implicated in an international gold smuggling and snatching syndicate allegedly operating through Karipur airport.