The city witnessed alert residents joining hands with the police in tracking and nabbing an accused who tried to run away while being taken to court.
Josemon, 24, of Eramallore, had a case of vehicle theft registered against him at the Ambalapuzha police station and was being taken to be produced at the Irinjalakuda court. He gave the escorting police personnel the slip while at the KSRTC bus terminal by around 10 a.m.
He then took the side roads and got into a private city bus. By that time, the police force was alerted on the wireless and the personnel had started begun the search.
One of two-wheeler riders on the road at that time had spotted a person matching the descriptions boarding the bus and called up the Control Room. He also followed the bus.
M. Baiju Poulose, Circle Inspector, Tripunithura, who was on his way to attend a conference at Town Central Police station, saw the motorcyclist following the bus. The rider also gestured about the suspect being in the bus, said Mr. Poulose.
The bus was intercepted on the Kathrikadavu road, following which the suspect jumped out and tried to flee. After chasing him for about 300 metres, Mr. Poulose nabbed him and hand him over to the police officials concerned.
School vehicles
The Regional Transport Office fined 17 vehicles in the district on Wednesday for carrying students beyond the allowed capacity.
The search was conducted by Muvattupuzha and Ernakulam RTOs as instructed by P.A. Sainudeen, Deputy Transport Commissioner and Rs.1.8 lakh was collected as fine. Besides overloading, 17 other vehicles were fined for not having speed governors and cases were registered against 11 persons for driving school vehicles without the mandatory experience of 10 years.
