KOCHI: A Tamil Nadu native man, believed to be a member of the notorious Kuruva gang, who had escaped by jumping from a police jeep, was nabbed by the police after hours of searching. Tamil Nadu native Santhosh was arrested from the marshlands of Kundannoor on Saturday night.

Santhosh and another person named Manikandan were taken into custody by the Alappuzha Mannanchery police from under the Kundannoor bridge at around 7 pm on Saturday. The two were staying with some Tamil groups living in the area with their families. According to the police, Santhosh was found hiding in a pit constructed inside a nearby shed during an inspection conducted in the area.

As the police handcuffed the two and took them to the jeep, a group of women and children surrounded the jeep. During the clash, Santhosh got out of the jeep after opening the backdoor and jumped into a nearby marshland. Following this, the city police intensified a search to find him. He was later found in the marshland near the Le Meridian hotel in Kundanoor. Both Santhosh and Manikandan were taken to the Mannanchery station on Saturday night.

Santhosh's wife Jyothi and mother Ponnamma were taken into custody by the Panangadu police for helping him to escape. It is said that both of them are members of the Kuruva gang that committed robberies in two houses in Mannanchery on November 12.