Mangaluru: Mangaluru North police have arrested a 34-year-old man who had allegedly remained absconding for nearly nine years in connection with a criminal case. The accused, identified as Ashpak, was traced on September 8, 2026, following a Long Pending Case (LPC) warrant issued by the court.

Ashpak, son of M Shafi and a resident of Kileria Nagar in Mukkacheri, Ullal, was wanted in a case registered at Mangaluru North police station in 2017. He had reportedly failed to appear before the court repeatedly and remained untraceable for several years.

Case registered in 2017

According to Daijiworld, a case was registered against Ashpak at Mangaluru North police station under Crime No. 197/2017. The case was filed under Sections 143, 147, 341, 504, 323, 506 and 307, read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The case is currently pending before the Second Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court as C.C. No. 5442/2018.

However, Ashpak allegedly failed to appear before the court and remained unavailable to the authorities for a prolonged period. With the accused continuing to remain absent from the proceedings, the court eventually issued an LPC warrant against him.

Accused traced after prolonged absence

Acting on the court-issued warrant, officers and personnel of Mangaluru North police worked to trace the accused.

The police succeeded in locating Ashpak on September 8, bringing an end to his nearly nine-year period of absence from the court proceedings.

The arrest highlights the continued efforts by police to execute warrants in long-pending criminal cases, particularly those involving accused persons who have remained untraceable for extended periods.

Cases classified as long-pending can remain before courts for years when accused persons fail to appear or cannot be located. Police teams are required to trace such individuals and produce them before the appropriate court so that proceedings can continue.

Ashpak produced before court

Following his arrest, Ashpak was produced before the court. The court subsequently ordered that he be remanded to judicial custody, according to the Daijiworld report.

His arrest means that the pending case can now proceed with the accused brought back into the judicial process.

The charges listed in the original case include rioting, unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint, intentional insult, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation and attempt to murder, along with the provision relating to acts committed by members of an unlawful assembly in furtherance of a common object.

The charges represent allegations in the criminal case and do not by themselves establish guilt. The matter remains subject to judicial proceedings.

Police continue action on pending warrants

The arrest also reflects the role of police in tracking down accused persons against whom courts have issued LPC warrants.

Such warrants are issued in cases where an accused repeatedly fails to appear before the court and remains unavailable for the proceedings. Tracing the accused allows the judicial process to resume.

In this case, Mangaluru North police located Ashpak on September 8 and completed the arrest and production process on the same day, according to the report.

With the accused now in judicial custody, further proceedings in the case registered in 2017 will take place before the Second JMFC Court.

Nine-year absence comes to an end

The arrest brings an end to a prolonged period during which Ashpak had remained away from the court proceedings. The case had been pending since 2018 and the accused had reportedly been untraceable for several years.

For the police, tracing individuals involved in long-pending cases remains an important part of ensuring that court warrants are executed and criminal proceedings are not indefinitely delayed.

The Mangaluru North police action on September 8 has now brought the accused back before the judicial system, nearly nine years after the original case was registered.