Overview
- A Vanchiyoor police team led by Station House Officer Shanif HF detained the suspect in Chennai on Wednesday and brought him to Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday for court production.
- Investigators revived the probe by surveilling about 150 phone numbers and 30 bank accounts tied to associates, then flagged a number in Chennai and, using IMEI tracking, linked a device to the suspect’s wife.
- Officers say he avoided mobile phones, bank accounts, and digital identification while keeping contact through public telephone booths and other people’s devices.
- Police state he converted to Christianity, adopted the name Sam, served as a pastor in Ayanavaram, and married twice while in Chennai.
- The 2001 case alleges the then-tutor lured a schoolgirl from class to his home and sexually assaulted her before securing bail, jumping it, and remaining absconding for nearly 24 years.