SOUTH
Notorious criminal Aadu Antony (Antony Varghese), who killed policeman Maniyan Pillai and seriously injured another police officer at Kollam in 2012, was awarded 15 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) by Principal Sessions Court on Wednesday. Besides the RI, the court also slapped a fine of Rs.4.5 lakhs.
Antony, who went into hiding after the murder of Maniyan Pillai at Parippally in Kollam on 26 June 2012. He remained at large for over three years, despite the police launching a massive manhunt. This hurt the police force's ego, and special probe teams were sent across the country to nab the absconding criminal.
A look-out notice was issued and a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information about Antony was announced. The police also used social media tools to nail Antony. The police finally nabbed the ‘expert in disguise’ at Chittoor in Palakkad on 12 October 2015.
TP Senkumar, the former state Police Chief said that even after identifying the criminal, it took three and half years to arrest him. It took a team of nearly a thousand policemen to finally bring him to justice, he said.
Last week, the court had pronounced Antony guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code; including sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder). Besides the murder, Antony had 200 criminal cases against him that included robbery, destruction of evidence, fake marriages.
He started his criminal activities by stealing goat ('aadu' in Malayalam) which earned him the nickname 'Aadu Antony', he later got himself involved in bigger thefts.
In the wee hours of 26 June 2012, Pillai and Assistant Sub-Inspector K. Joy were on night patrol duty when they found Antony under suspicious circumstances and took him into custody. But Antony confronted the policemen with a knife, stabbing Pillai and Joy. Pillai succumbed to injuries.
From a goat thief to murderer
- With more than 200 cases against him including the murder of a policeman in 2012, Aadu Antony is an all-rounder among criminals, specialising in robbery, money swindling and forgery. The police claim that he had 15 wives.
Antony Varghese, who hails from Kumbalam in Kollam, earned his nickname Aadu Antony after he was arrested for stealing a goat (aadu) when he was a teenager. Here is a timeline of life events of the dreaded criminal.
- 2004 - Antony was arrested for burglary and jailed for four years.
- 2008- After his release from prison, Antony continued his criminal activities and burglary.
- 26 June 2012 - He kills civil police driver Maniyan Pillai and stabs police officer Joy when the cops chased him down at Kollam. He goes into hiding after the murder.
- 1 July 2015 - Kerala police named him among the most wanted criminals and released a look-out notice announcing a reward of Rs 1 lakh for those who help to capture him.
- 13 July 2015 - Police releases the visuals of Antony and wife Susan, who went absconding with him.
- 12 Oct 2015- Police capture Antony from Gopalapuram in Palakkad. As many as 27 cases registered against him.
- 14 June 2016 - Trial in the murder of policeman Maniyan Pillai begins at the Principal Sessions Court, Kollam.
- 20 July 2016 - Court pronounces Antony guilty in Maniyan Pillai murder case.
- 27 July 2016 - Principal Sessions Court, Kollam awards rigorous life imprisonment to Aadu Antony.