Location exposed when licence was renewed; former public prosecutor who went absconding after ₹90 lakh scam found after 11 years

Thursday 29 August, 2024 | 12:03 AM READ MALAYALAM VERSION

KOCHI: The former public prosecutor, who fled from Thodupuzha 11 years ago after defrauding locals of Rs 90 lakh, was arrested by the police from his relative's house in Kozhikode. MM James (65), a native of Thodupuzha Muttam, was taken into custody. His family had approached the court to consider him dead and waive the financial liability. The police caught him after finding that he had renewed his driving license while he was living in hiding in Wayanad.

He was a prosecutor in the Thodupuzha District Sessions Court and a public prosecutor twice. There is also a fraud case against him. With this, the stage was set to prosecute the former prosecutor. It is also suspected that his disappearance is a drama with the connivance of the family.

James left Thodupuzha in 2013 after taking money from many people for business. James was living near the Meppadi forest area. His disappearance became a police case in 2019. Muttam police's investigation came to a standstill. The legal expert got into trouble when he renewed his license thinking that the police investigation had stopped.

The family's demand to waive financial liability was challenged in court by those who lost money. The court ordered to ascertain whether the person was alive. A special team of SP Vishnu Pradeep under the supervision of Idukki Crime Branch DYSP KR Biju came to the scene two weeks ago.

Police route map

Bank accounts were collected using old mobile numbers. The accounts in Idukki were dead. It was found that transactions were recently made in the account in a private bank in Thoppumpady, Ernakulam. It was concluded that James was alive.

The new phone number and address given to renew the license was from the Meppadi area where the landslide occurred. James was not found there either.

The tower location of the new number was Kozhikode. James was taken into custody on Tuesday morning. He was produced in the Thodupuzha Magistrate Court yesterday.