Mangaluru: A man who had been on the run for nearly 19 years in connection with the 2006 Surathkal murder case was arrested by Bajpe police on the evening of November 18. The arrested individual, Abdul Salam, had reportedly been evading law enforcement since leaving the country shortly after the crime.
Arrest in a 19-year-old murder case
Police confirmed that Abdul Salam (47) was taken into custody at Kinnipadavu around 8 pm following credible intelligence inputs about his return to the region. Salam had allegedly provided shelter to the prime accused Kabir, who is accused of murdering Sukhanand Shetty on December 1, 2006, near Hosabettu under the Surathkal police station limits.
According to the police, Salam — along with his brother Latif alias Addur Latif — helped Kabir evade arrest by hiding him for two days in their Addur Tibet Colony residence before dropping him near Kasargod, from where he fled.
Years abroad and attempts to avoid arrest
Investigations revealed that Salam had left the country roughly three months after the murder. Despite a charge sheet being filed, he never appeared before the court for almost two decades. He had obtained a passport in 2007 and lived abroad for several years. Upon his recent return, he demolished his old house in Addur and shifted to a rented house in Kinnipadavu to avoid detection.
His brother Latif, who also faces charges in the case, continues to reside abroad and remains absconding.
Multiple accused still at large
Police records show that 16 accused in the Surathkal murder case have been arrested so far, while 11 others continue to evade custody. Abdul Salam additionally faces an attempted murder case registered at Bajpe police station, and police have maintained a rowdy sheet against him.
The court had issued multiple warrants for Salam over the years, but he consistently avoided compliance by staying abroad.
Action under Section 209 of BNS
Since Salam failed to appear before the court for nearly 19 years, Bajpe police will now book him under Section 209 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for non-appearance and will produce him before the court.
Police team behind the arrest
The arrest was made under the guidance of ACP (North subdivision) Srikant K, with efforts led by Police Inspector Pramod Kumar P and PSI Raghu Nayak, along with staff members Annappa, Ajith Mathew, Rajendra Prasad, Vinod Naik, and Sunil Kusanale.
Conclusion
The arrest of Abdul Salam marks a significant breakthrough in the prolonged Surathkal murder investigation. Police continue efforts to trace the remaining absconding accused to bring closure to one of the region’s oldest pending murder cases.