Kerala - Kollam   

Wanted man’s dodging game comes to an end

KOLLAM: Manu Gopal, 38, wanted by the police in over 100 criminal cases including murder, attacking policemen and jewellery heist, and his accomplice Shanavas Alias Shanu have been arrested and detained under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act.

Both were nabbed late on Sunday from Kaniyapuram in Thiruvananthapuram district in an operation by a police team headed by Sub Inspector Alexander Thankachan of the Kilikollur police station in Kollam city. He has been sent to the Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail to serve the detention period. Shanu has also been sent to the same jail.

Detention orders under the Act were issued by District Collector A. Shajahan against Manu on December 20, 2008. He had been absconding since then. Manu had been staying in and around Thiruvananthapuram city, shifting from houses he took on rent. The house in Kaniyapuram, from where he was arrested, was the fourth. He told his neighbours that he was a TV serial actor.

Since it was feared that Manu was in possession of crude bombs which he would use against the police if they attempted to arrest him, police teams were wary of nabbing him. He also reared a ferocious Rottweiler which he allegedly unleashed on adversaries, police said. Arresting Manu was entrusted as a special task to Mr. Thankachan by Kollam Superintendent of Police K. Sanjay Kumar given his track record against hardcore criminals.

After tracking Manu for several days Mr. Thankachan finally identified his house by going there in the guise of a gas cylinder delivery man. Later, he came with his police team and overpowered Manu and Shanu. Police said that Manu had been convicted in various cases and had been in jail for about 12 years serving different sentences. He was arrested a couple of years ago by the Crime Branch for allegedly murdering a taxi driver from Kottayam to rob the vehicle. He is on bail in this case.

While on a mission to burn a cashew factory he was intercepted by a team from Ochira police station. But Manu hacked all of them and escaped. At Haripad, while trying to escape after robbing a jewellery shop, he hurled a bomb at the police team.

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Wanted man’s dodging game comes to an end

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