Absconder Held: 28-Year Escape Ends in Fake Note Case at Airport Check-In!

The Alappuzha Crime Branch has finally arrested the third accused in a 28-year-old counterfeit currency case. Rajesh Ramachandran, who had been on the run, was nabbed at the Thiruvananthapuram airport as soon as he landed from abroad, thanks to a lookout notice.

Alappuzha: After being on the run for a whopping 28 years, the third accused in a major counterfeit currency case is finally behind bars. The Alappuzha Crime Branch arrested Rajesh Ramachandran (52) at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. He was caught the moment he landed from a foreign country on May 14. The police had issued a lookout notice for him, and airport authorities tipped them off as soon as he arrived.

A team from the Alappuzha Crime Branch, including ASI Prasad, Sajimon, SCPO Arunraj, and CPO Lijimon, took him into custody. They later produced him before the Chengannur court, which remanded him.

The original incident dates back to June 29, 1998. The case was registered at the Chengannur police station after a raid on a printing press. The Crime Branch had raided a company named Leela Offsite Press in the Industrial Estate area of Mundankavu, Chengannur village. During the raid, they found a huge stash of fake currency: 8,762 notes of 500 UAE Dirhams, one fake 100-rupee note, and two Indian stamp papers. The press owner and first accused, Leelamma, and her son, the second accused Rajeev Kumar, were arrested at the time. Rajesh, who was also named an accused in the case, went into hiding right after that and has been missing ever since.