KOCHI: In the town of Kalamassery in Kochi, a sinister tale of escape, pursuit, and justice unfolded over the course of two long years. It began with a case filed against Assam native Mahesan Saikye, who had fled after sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl.
What transpired next stand testimony to the resolve of the police. The story is reminiscent of the blockbuster Kannur Squad, as a Kerala Police team embarked on a relentless pursuit to bring Saikye to justice. “Actually, behind the scenes, the story was even more complex,” says an officer who was involved in the probe.
“After leaving Kerala, Mahesan had taken refuge with an ULFA militant in Assam. It appeared to be a no-go zone for the Kerala Police initially. But we were determined to nab him.” The investigation team’s strategy was like a chess game with high stakes, carefully planned and executed.
“It all started with the victim’s family coming forward to report the incident. They were under severe stress as the accused was able to disappear like a ghost due to his ULFA connections,” the officer recalls.
The Assam Police, another officer adds, was not keen to get into the rut. “But, we took it a personal challenge,” he adds.
“Despite facing challenges, our team, led by SHO Pradeep Kumar G, went all out to hunt down the accused. There were many obstacles, and we had to go through dangerous, socio-politically sensitive areas. It was a covert operation.”
Using modern technology and the strong support of men in Khaki in other states as well, the probe team launched a digital search for the accused. “We tracked his movements online and, eventually, located him in Khalihamari, his hometown, near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border,” says the officer.
“When our team reached the spot, we faced local resistance like you see in films. However, we had support facilitated via a WhatsApp ‘National Police Group’ founded by Rajpal Dabas, ACP, Delhi Police. A lot of coordination is done via this platform when interstate operations are carried out.”
On January 15, when Mahesan, unsuspecting and unprepared, walked into the police trap. “There was a local festival going on, so he must not have expected trouble. Our team, however, arrested him in a swift, well-planned operation. He was caught totally off guard.”
Mahesan is in remand now. He will surely remember the SHO Pradeep’s team, which included Sub-Inspectors Vinoj A and Subair V A, and Civil Police Officers Binu V, S Sreejith, Mahin Aboobacker, and Arun.