The Kankanady Town police have successfully arrested Rohith Mathias, who had been absconding for nearly two years, in connection with a theft involving gold ornaments and cash stolen from a woman in Kulshekar. The police recovered gold worth Rs 7 lac from Mathias, following an extensive investigation.
The theft occurred in December 2021 when Mathias, who had been living with a woman in Kulshekar, fled with her gold and cash. Despite being on the run, the Kankanady police were able to trace Mathias to Mumbai, where he was apprehended upon his return to Mangaluru.
Mathias, a resident of Matkekere House, Belman, Karkala in Udupi district, has a criminal history. He had previously been arrested in 2019 for the murder of his neighbor, Bharatalakshmi, a retired PDO, in Belman. Mathias and his accomplices had killed Bharatalakshmi for her valuables and disposed of her body in a well. He had served time in jail but went into hiding before the trial concluded.
The accused is also known for using social media to befriend women, gain their trust, and subsequently steal their cash and jewelry. His arrest has revealed similar crimes he had committed in the past.
The operation to arrest Mathias was carried out under the guidance of Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal IPS, with the assistance of DCps Siddharth Goyal and Dinesh Kumar KSPS, and ACP Dhanya Nayak. The Kankanady Town Police Inspector Nagaraj T D led the arrest team, which included PSIs Vinayak Bhavikatti, Shivakumar, Yogeeshwaran, along with other personnel Raghavendra, Gangadhar, Rajesab Mulla, Chetan, Muttanna, and Praveen.