The Thiruvananthapuram City police have initiated steps to obtain custody of a history-sheeter who was nabbed by the Kanyakumari police, around two months after he allegedly stole a confiscated motorcycle from the premises of the Vizhinjam police station.
The accused, Merlin Raj of Thuckalay, was arrested by the Marthandam police a few days for various cases of thefts and burglaries reported in the region.
The habitual offender, who is suspected to be involved in nearly 25 cases registered in Tamil Nadu including one involving murder had purportedly attempted to snatch the chain of a woman who was riding a scooter on the Uchakkada Payattuvila road on July 12. His attempt was foiled after the woman cried for help, prompting several passersby to rush towards the scene of crime.
With his motorcycle developing a snag, Merlin had to abandon his vehicle and flee the area on foot. The mainour was later shifted to the Vizhinjam police station. Unfazed by the move, the accused managed to retrieve his bike parked on the station courtyard with the help of a relative Reji during the wee hours of the next day.
While the duo soon left the State, the police managed to trace their whereabouts to Kanyakumari through CCTV footage recovered from various locations. Reji was nabbed in Kalkulam, near Kanyakumari, with the assistance of the Tamil Nadu police two days later. However, Merlin remained on the run until his arrest a few days ago.
There are two cases pending against the accused at the Vizhinjam police station, station house officer Prajeesh Sasi said.
