Much to the relief of the Central Police, the prisoner who had escaped custody and fled earlier this month has been nabbed by the Thrithala police in Palakkad district on Friday.
Tafseer Darvesh, 21, from Ponnani, had escaped after throwing curry into the eyes of the guard in the early hours of December 5. Two civil police officers who were on duty at the station during the time continue to serve suspension in this regard.
K. Laljy, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ernakulam), confirmed that the accused has been detained by the Thrithala police. “We will seek his custody when he is produced before court, which may take up to a week,” he said.
It has now emerged that in little over a fortnight since fleeing the prison cell, the youngster, whose arrest is yet to be recorded, has reportedly committed more thefts in north and central Kerala. “To our knowledge, he had committed about five thefts, including four shop break-ins and a motorcycle theft, since escaping the prison,” said Vipin K. Venugopal, Sub Inspector, Thrithala police.
Shop break-ins have been reported from Thrithala, Tirur and Kuttippuram in Malappuram district and Kunnamkulam in Thrissur district while a motorcycle was stolen from Pattambi in Palakkad district, according to the police.
The Thrithala police had secured his CCTV footage from a shop he broke into, leading to his detention. Mr. Venugopal said the youngster had shaved his head and his appearance was totally different from what it was when he escaped the prison cell.
The Central police had taken Tafseer into custody on December 3 in connection with a case registered for serial theft at Broadway and areas near Ernakulam Market a few months ago.
On the morning when he escaped from the cell, his cellmate and co-accused in the case, Muhammed Aslam, 19, of Ponnani, requested the guard on duty to be taken to the toilet around 3.30 a.m. It was while taking Aslam back to the cell that the guard came under attack from Tafseer who threw the curry from the previous night kept in a disposable glass into his eyes and fled.