Stole valuables, jumped off moving trains: End of line for AC compartment nightmare; 'Vetta Abhijith' nabbed

KOLLAM: The Kollam Railway Police have arrested a 22-year-old habitual interstate thief who has been targeting railway stations and trains across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The accused, identified as Abhijith, alias 'Vetta Abhijith,' a native of Paravoor, Kollam, was apprehended on the night of the 29th.

The arrest took place at the Sasthamkotta railway station aboard an Ernakulam-Kollam MEMU train. Beat duty officers Arundev and Rajesh Kumar spotted Abhijith during a routine patrol on the train. In a desperate bid to evade arrest, the accused attempted to flee, causing injuries to both police officers, before he was successfully subdued. The police recovered ₹65,500 in cash, a laptop, and two mobile phones from his bag.

According to the police, Abhijith followed a specific modus operandi: he would purchase valid tickets to board air-conditioned (AC) compartments, where he would steal valuables including laptops, mobile phones, gold, and cash from sleeping or unsuspecting passengers. He would then wait for the train to pass through a deserted area, where he would jump off the moving train to make his escape.

Investigations revealed that Abhijith faces similar criminal cases in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. He had previously been arrested in Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) in connection with a theft case but had gone into hiding after escaping from the custody of the Tamil Nadu police. Following his escape, he had shifted his base of operations to Kollam.

The arrest was executed under the direct guidance of Railway Superintendent of Police Krishnakumar. The operating team included Railway Inspector V.V. Divin, Kollam SHO Shyamakumari, ASI Bindu, Sunil Kumar, Civil Police Officers Linu, Albin, Rojan Das, Dhanya, and Sridevi, alongside Intelligence Officers Akhil and Ranjithmon.

Following his capture, the police registered a new case against Abhijith under non-bailable sections for assaulting police personnel on duty. The accused has been produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody.