KOCHI: Buoyed by the impact that Operation Dark Hunt – a special drive against habitual offenders – had in bringing down the crime rate and anti-social activities, the Ernakulam Rural Police have tightened their noose on history-sheeters with the launch of Operation Clean Ernakulam Rural.
Actions are initiated under the provisions of the Kerala Anti-social Activities Prevention (KAAPA) Act and are intended to prevent organised crimes in the rural parts of the district, according to officers. So far, three major drug seizures have happened after the launch of Operation Clean in the rural police district including the recovery of 1.854 kg of MDMA from North Paravoor.
Officers said Operation Dark Hunt – launched in 2019 – helped control the menace of anti-social elements. As per official records, 96 habitual offenders have been jailed and 80 accused deported after invoking sections of the KAAPA Act in the rural police limits. Under the special drive, as many as 74 accused have been jailed invoking KAAPA sections over the past two years.
Besides, 55 have been deported from the rural police limits or punished during the period, said an officer.
Operation Dark Hunt was launched after intelligence inputs from the police field agents revealed that many criminals in the district were into illegal activities including extortion and drug peddling.
Among those jailed this year is Anson Roy, of Kalloorkad, who was arrested for the death of a student of Nirmala College, Muvattupuzha, in July. She was hit by a speeding motorcycle ridden by Anson, who was under the influence of alcohol. Anson’s two-wheeler hit Namitha and Anushree, both third-year BCom students, while they were crossing the road near the college.
Namitha was dragged on the road for several metres before the motorcycle came to a halt. In 2022, a notorious goon Ratheesh aka Kara Ratheesh, who was involved in about 30 criminal cases including murder, was arrested.
Rural SP Vaibhav Saxena said Operation Clean is a mission to prevent organised crimes.“The operation began with the launch of the Yodhavu app, through which the public can inform the police about drug abuse and distribution. The action plan is different in the districts. For Ernakulam Rural, we have devised a plan by including social media and cyber surveillance,” he said.
Major accused arrested in 2023
Anson Roy of Kalloorkad. The motorcycle he was riding under the influence of alcohol hit Namitha R, a student of Nirmala College, Muvattupuzha, leading to her death. He was involved in several drug peddling cases.
Dracula Suresh, a notorious burglar involved in multiple cases of theft and attempts to murder