Kerala man absconding for six years arrested in Mangaluru

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Oct 9, 2026: The Mangaluru North Sub-Division Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) team has arrested a 54-year-old man who had been absconding since 2020 after being convicted in a fake passport case.

The accused, Velayudhan, a native of Kasaragod district in Kerala, was arrested on October 8 and handed over to Bajpe police for further action.

According to Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH, Velayudhan was detained by immigration officer KM Chandrashekar at Mangaluru International Airport in Bajpe on June 22, 2010, while attempting to travel abroad using a fake passport.

Following a complaint by the immigration officer, Bajpe police registered a case under Sections 419, 420, 468 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 12(1)(b), 12(1)(d) and 12(1)(e) of the Passports Act, 1967.

After completing the investigation, police filed a chargesheet before the court. On December 1, 2020, the Sessions Court sentenced Velayudhan to one year and six months in prison.

He subsequently challenged the conviction before the Karnataka High Court, but his petition was dismissed.

Following the dismissal of his petition, Velayudhan went absconding and remained untraceable. A police team led by the ACP of the Mangaluru North Sub-Division eventually tracked him down and arrested him.