Robbery accused who fled custody arrested by Kochi city police

Kochi: In a dramatic three-hour operation, police on Wednesday captured a robbery accused who earlier escaped from custody after attacking police officers. The accused was part of a three-member gang that allegedly targeted gay men through dating applications, luring them into honey traps before robbing them.The accused, Russell, 20, of Pathanamthitta, was arrested for snatching an iPhone from a Thiruvananthapuram-based youth. While being produced before a magistrate in North Paravur, he, along with his companion Suraj of Alappuzha, attacked police personnel and fled. Suraj was later caught near a canal in North Paravur.City police had launched an extensive manhunt for him under the directive of city commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar. Surveillance was intensified across city and rural areas and alerts were circulated through media and social media platforms.Acting on a tip-off received on Tuesday afternoon, a team led by Ernakulam central ACP Premanand Krishnan, along with Kadavanthra SHO Biju R and SI Shahina K, began a search in Elamakkara area. The accused was later spotted near Edappally railway station. When officers tried to arrest him, he bit and pushed them before escaping along railway track. During the chase, he changed his shirt from a nearby shop to evade identification.Police eventually tracked him to a bushy vacant plot near Vattekkunnam. As locals joined the search, the accused jumped into a canal filled with vegetation and remained submerged for nearly an hour.In a risky operation, police personnel Shibu (Kadavanthra station), Rinu (Ernakulam North station) and Shine Raj (AR camp) entered the canal and pulled him out.