Puttur: Uppinangady police have arrested Jameel Chacha, 62, a warrant accused who had been absconding for three years in connection with a 2019 jewellery shop theft case. The accused was traced to Rajasthan and brought back to face court proceedings.

Jameel Chacha, a resident of an area near a gurudwara in Dongri village of Rajasthan’s Bondi district, was allegedly involved in the theft of jewellery worth lakhs of rupees from a jewellery shop in Uppinangady in 2019.

Following the theft, the accused allegedly fled from the area without leaving any immediate clue about his whereabouts. Police subsequently began efforts to trace him and gather information about the group allegedly involved in the case.

Police trace accused to Rajasthan

Then Uppinangady sub-inspector Nanda Kumar and his team had gathered information about the accused’s gang following the jewellery shop theft. Based on the information obtained during the investigation, a police team travelled to Rajasthan and launched an operation to apprehend those allegedly involved in the case.

The operation resulted in the arrest of the accused at the time. However, after being released on bail, the accused failed to appear before the court for subsequent proceedings.

As he remained absent from the court proceedings, a warrant was eventually issued against him. Jameel Chacha continued to remain at large for around three years, despite efforts by the police to locate him.

The long-pending warrant case was subsequently taken up by Uppinangady police, who renewed efforts to establish the accused’s whereabouts.

Warrant accused brought back to court

During their investigation, police traced Jameel Chacha to Rajasthan. A police team then proceeded to the location and arrested him.

After completing the necessary procedures, the accused was brought back and produced before the court in connection with the pending case.

The court subsequently remanded Jameel Chacha to judicial custody.

The arrest marks a significant development in the 2019 jewellery shop theft case, which had remained pending after the accused failed to appear before the court following his release on bail.

Investigation into 2019 theft

The case dates back to 2019, when jewellery worth lakhs of rupees was allegedly stolen from a jewellery shop in Uppinangady.

Following the incident, police worked to identify those allegedly involved and gathered information about the gang suspected of carrying out the theft. The investigation eventually led officers to Rajasthan, where the accused were arrested.

However, the legal proceedings could not be completed after the accused were released on bail and subsequently failed to attend court hearings.

The issuance of warrants enabled police to continue efforts to locate and apprehend those who remained absconding.

The latest arrest demonstrates the continued efforts of Uppinangady police to execute pending warrants and bring accused persons who have remained away from the judicial process back before the court.

With Jameel Chacha now in judicial custody, further proceedings in the long-pending case will continue before the court.