Keralam's 'second Sukumara Kurup' arrested after 30 years on the run for Thrissur murder

Thrissur: The Thrissur City Police have arrested a 49-year-old man, who was absconding for nearly three decades following the murder and robbery of an elderly woman. Krishnakumar, a native of Vengassery in Ambalappara, Ottapalam, was nabbed from Kundara in Kollam, bringing an end to a 30-year manhunt that saw him dubbed the state's 'second Sukumara Kurup' in police files.

The crime occurred in 1995 when 65-year-old Martha, who lived alone at East Fort in Thrissur, was strangled to death inside her home. The perpetrators fled with six sovereigns of gold jewellery. Subsequent police investigation led to the arrest of Krishnakumar and his accomplice Prasad, a native of Chalakudy. Both of them were aged 18 at the time.

However, after obtaining bail, Krishnakumar slipped out of sight, leading the court to issue a long-pending warrant against him.

Fifteen years in UP under a new identity
Krishnakumar managed to remain off the radar by assuming a new name and relocating to Meerut in UP, where he lived for 15 years. A breakthrough emerged when investigators received a fresh lead indicating that the fugitive had assumed a new alias in UP. A police team travelled to UP to conduct an extensive search, only to discover that the suspect had recently shifted back to Keralam.

Further intelligence revealed that Krishnakumar had established a new life in Kundara near Kollam, using a forged address and identity. Working as a welder, he had married, started a family, and lived undetected for years. Acting on targeted information, Thrissur City Police closed in on his location in Kundara and took him into custody, successfully closing one of the state's longest-standing cases.