Politics · India Bureau
Kannur man declared dead in absentia arrested after 13 years
A man who had been declared a proclaimed offender in a drug case over a decade ago has been arrested in Andhra Pradesh. The accused had evaded authorities since failing to appear in court proceedings initiated by Kannur police in 2008.
LSN India ·
Police in Andhra Pradesh have arrested a man who was declared a proclaimed offender in Kerala's Kannur district in 2013, ending a 13-year manhunt. The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in a narcotics case that has remained pending since 2008, when Kannur Town police registered charges against the accused.
The man had failed to appear before the Vadakara NDPS court, which subsequently declared him a proclaimed offender in 2013. His prolonged absence from legal proceedings and evasion of authorities had effectively made him untraceable across multiple years.
The recovery of the suspect in Andhra Pradesh comes after a coordinated effort between law enforcement agencies across state lines. Investigators tracked down the accused, who had managed to evade arrest despite being formally declared an offender by the court more than a decade ago.
The arrest opens the possibility of resuming the stalled drug case proceedings. The accused now faces the prospect of being extradited to Kerala to stand trial on the original narcotics charges filed by Kannur Town police in 2008.