Culprit Who Fled After Murder Conviction Finally Caught After 27 Years
Mavelikkara – After 27 years on the run, a man convicted of murdering a housewife is finally in custody. Reggie, who had been living under the false name of Mini Raju, was arrested by Mavelikara police in the Pallarimangalam panchayat of Adiwad.
The case dates back to February 21, 1990, when Mariamma, the wife of Pappachan, was found brutally murdered in her home. The cause of death was a deep cut on her neck with a kitchen knife. The accused also stole Mariamma’s valuable jewelry, including a three-and-a-half-pawan thalimala, and mutilated her body. Initially, no one suspected Reggie, who had been raised by Mariamma as her own daughter. However, during the subsequent investigation, Reggie was arrested.
In 1993, the Mavelikkara Additional District Sessions Court acquitted Reggie, giving him the benefit of doubt. However, on September 11, 1996, the Kerala High Court overturned the decision and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Within hours of the verdict, Reggie went into hiding, evading the police’s search efforts in Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, and within Kerala.
Reggie was a criminal who had been hiding in Kalayavanika after Sukumarakurup, the accused in the notorious Chacko murder case registered by the Mavelikkara police. After 27 years, Judge KN Ajith Kumar of Mavelikkara Additional District Sessions Court II issued a warrant for Reggie’s arrest. A special investigation team was formed under the leadership of Chengannur DySP MK Binukumar, Mavelikara Police Inspector C. Sreejith, and Senior Civil Police Officers Unnikrishna Pillai, Mohammad Shafique, and Arun Bhaskar, following the instructions of Alappuzha District Police Chief Chaitra Teresa John.
Locals had speculated that Reggie might be in Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, or even in an orphanage. However, none of Reggie’s relatives had seen him since he went into hiding. The police only had an old newspaper photo and the address from the case. There were even rumors that Reggie had contracted Covid and died. To verify his whereabouts, the police collected information on Covid-related deaths, vaccine recipients, and unidentified deceased individuals.
The investigation revealed that Reggie had worked as a kitchen worker under the name Mini in Aymanat and Chunkat in Kottayam district before going into hiding. He had married a construction worker from Tamil Nadu and was living with his family under the name Mini Raju in Adiwad, Pallarimangalam, Ernakulam, Pothanikkad.
After the High Court verdict in 1996, Reggie worked as a domestic worker in various places in Kottayam district under the name Mini. During this time, he met Thakala, a native of Tamil Nadu, and they got married in 1999. Reggie then moved to Adiwad in Pallarimangalam panchayat, Kotamangalam, where he lived with his family.
Reggie, who had been working as a salesgirl in a garment shop in Adiwad for the past five years, was apprehended by a team consisting of Mavelikkara Police Inspector C. Sreejith, SI Prahladan, Senior Civil Police Officers Biju Muhammad, Subhash NS, Sajumol, Unnikrishna Pillai, Muhammad Shafiq, Arun Bhaskar, and CPO Bindu. He is scheduled to be produced in Mavelikkara Additional District Sessions Court-2 on Monday.
This long-awaited arrest brings closure to a case that has haunted the community for nearly three decades. The news of Reggie’s capture has brought relief to the family of Mariamma and the local residents who have been seeking justice for years.
English Summary: Culprit who absconded after being convicted in a murder case, caught after 27 years.
How did the special investigation team track down Reggie, the convicted murderer
After nearly three decades on the run, a man who was convicted of murdering a housewife has finally been apprehended in Mavelikkara. The fugitive, who had been living under an alias, was arrested by the Mavelikara police in the Pallarimangalam panchayat of Adiwad.
The crime dates back to February 21, 1990, when the victim, Mariamma, was found brutally murdered in her home. She had been killed with a kitchen knife, suffering a deep cut to her neck. The perpetrator also stole her valuable jewelry, including a three-and-a-half-pawan thalimala, and mutilated her body. Initially, no one suspected the culprit, who had been raised by Mariamma as her own daughter. However, during the ensuing investigation, the accused, known as Reggie, was arrested.
In 1993, Reggie was acquitted by the Mavelikkara Additional District Sessions Court due to the benefit of doubt. However, on September 11, 1996, the Kerala High Court overturned the decision and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Hours after the verdict, Reggie went into hiding, successfully evading the police’s search efforts in various regions of India.
Reggie had been hiding in Kalayavanika after a notorious murder case registered by the Mavelikkara police. Now, after 27 years, a warrant for Reggie’s arrest was finally issued by Judge KN Ajith Kumar of the Mavelikkara Additional District Sessions Court II. A special investigation team, led by Chengannur DySP MK Binukumar and supported by Mavelikara Police Inspector C. Sreejith, as well as Senior Civil Police Officers Unnikrishna Pillai, Mohammad Shafique, and Arun Bhaskar, was formed to track Reggie down. These efforts were carried out under the direction of Alappuzha District Police Chief Chaitra Teresa John.
Wow, 27 years later and justice is finally being served. It’s commendable that the accused in the Mavelikkara Housewife Murder Case has been captured.