In a surprising turn of events, Madurai police arrested a man who had been evading authorities for 27 years in connection with a theft involving just Rs 60. The arrest, conducted under the guise of a census survey, finally closed a long-standing case from 1997.
The accused, 55-year-old Panneerselvam from Madurai’s Jakkathoppu area, was originally detained by Theppakulam police for a minor theft of Rs 60, as reported by ABP Nadu. However, he managed to abscond while being presented in court, eluding capture despite multiple police searches over the years. Eventually, a court warrant was issued for his arrest.
Recently, under the direction of Assistant Commissioner Soorakumar and Special Sub-Inspectors Santhanapandian and Panneerselvan, the Madurai Metropolitan Police intensified their efforts to locate absconding individuals in unresolved cases. Inquiries led them to Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district, where Panneerselvam was reportedly living with his family and working at a wine shop.
In a carefully planned operation, a special police team, in coordination with Theppakulam and Sivakasi police, approached Panneerselvam's family under the pretext of gathering census information. After confirming his identity, the police arrested him and brought him before the court. Commissioner Loganathan commended the team for successfully capturing the man, finally concluding the decades-old case.
Panneerselvam is now lodged in jail, closing an unusual chapter in Madurai’s criminal records.
In another incident, a 34-year-old software engineer from Theni was apprehended by the Dindigul district police, with assistance from the cybercrime wing of the Delhi police, on Saturday. The man, identified as Hari Pradeep from Poosaripatti, has been charged with sending obscene messages to a woman in Delhi using a SIM card he had allegedly stolen nearly a decade ago. According to reports, the accused had evaded capture for more than nine years.
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(With inputs from ABP Nadu — It is a Tamil platform of ABP News. For more news, commentary and latest happenings from Tamil Nadu, follow https://tamil.abplive.com/)