Arjun Ayanki among six held in pre-dawn resort raid

Kochi: Arjun Ayanki, an accused in multiple criminal cases and expelled from Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), was taken into preventive custody along with five associates during a pre-dawn police raid at a resort in Punnakkad on Sunday. The operation was carried out by Kothamangalam police around 4am while the group gathered at the venue for a private function.Those detained include Adarsh, 29, from Thiruvananthapuram; Pranav, 29, from Azhikkal; Dhaneesh, 39, from Palluruthy in Ernakulam; Arun alias Don, 38, from Kanjikuzhi in Alappuzha; and Tanson, 34, from Palluruthy.Preliminary findings suggest the group had assembled to plan a fresh criminal operation. Police have registered a case invoking organised crime charges and further investigation is ongoing.Police said the group was apprehended after officers surrounded the resort in a surprise move. Luxury vehicles and mobile phones allegedly used by the accused were seized during the raid.According to investigators, all six persons are involved in multiple serious offences, including highway robbery, attempted murder, drug trafficking, abduction for ransom, gold smuggling and financial crimes. Ayanki alone faces eight cases, while the others have between two and 13 cases each registered against them.