Kannur Police Finally Capture Murder Accused After 14 Years on the Run

Back in December 2012, a brutal murder took place in Azhikode, Kerala – a man named Manikandan was savagely beaten to death. The police promptly arrested the alleged killer, a young man from Coimbatore named Anand.

Things took a sharp turn when Anand managed to secure bail. Instead of turning up for his court dates, he vanished without a trace. The courts, realizing he was deliberately dodging the law, declared him a proclaimed offender.

For fourteen long years the search turned into a tough cat‑and‑mouse game. Anand had gone off the grid – no mobile phone, no digital footprints, nothing that could lead investigators straight to him. Adding to the mystery, during the investigation it surfaced that he might also be linked to a separate murder case in Tamil Nadu from 2021.

Finally, a special investigation team of the Kannur City Police pieced together enough clues to pinpoint his whereabouts. Late last week the team swooped into Coimbatore, where Anand was staying under an assumed name, and arrested him without incident.

Local officials say the arrest is a relief for the victim’s family, who have waited more than a decade for justice. The case will now move back to court, where Anand will face the pending charges both from Kerala and the alleged Tamil Nadu murder.

Kannur police have thanked the senior officers and the investigative team for their perseverance, noting that the successful capture underscores the importance of inter‑state cooperation in tackling long‑standing criminal cases.