The Hill Palace police on Monday arrested a notorious criminal whose ways of operation often bore similarities to that of Devinder Singh. According to the police, Ratheesh, 50, aka Kozhi Ratheesh of Vaikom, was an accused in a murder case and over 200 robbery cases.
Bijo Alexander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Thrikkakara, said Ratheesh had donned small roles in some movies, including ‘Dharamkshetra Kurukshetra’. “Unlike other thieves, Ratheesh is a teetotaler. Movies are what interests him. Interestingly, he breaks into homes after the time of second show in theatres. He was working as a clap boy at studios in Kozhikode and Kasargod,” says Bijo Alexander. The police registered a case against Ratheesh following a complaint from a hotel in Thrikkakara.
“ He had been in Ernakulam for the last six months. He was saving money to murder a panchayat member in Kasargod district. He curls his mustache like actor Dileep in the movie ‘Meesha Madhavan’ and picks up fights with shop owners. Later, he used to break into shops and steal money. However, we could identify him with the assistance of CCTV from one of the shops. Three teams were following him for the last two weeks. We traced him at Kozhikode and arrested him from his hide out in Palayam,” Police officials said.
Though Ratheesh was acquitted in the case of his wife’s murder, he is an accused in a murder case in Kasargod.
Ratheesh had allegedly stabbed six people in Kasargod in which one person was killed.