Mangaluru: Murder suspect on the run for 30 years arrested
Mangaluru (Karnataka), Oct 24: The Mangaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) police have nabbed a murder suspect who had been evading arrest for nearly 30 years, police said on Thursday.
The accused, involved in a murder and assault case near MRPL in the Surathkal police station limits, was finally captured after an intensive operation, they said.
As per the case details with the Surathkal police station, around 30 years ago, a murder and assault took place, police said.
According to police, the owner of Rakshak Industrial Security Institute, Abdullah, had hired five security guards for a Delhi-based company. On the night of March 12, 1995, at approximately 10:30 p.m., security guards Suresh, Narayan, and Devanna were on duty at the site when three unknown individuals approached.
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The guards questioned their presence at that late hour, leading to an altercation. Two of the individuals attacked the security guards, resulting in the death of Narayan, who sustained severe injuries. The Surathkal police registered a case in connection with the incident, back then, a senior police official said.
On the same night, two of the suspects, identified as Achhan Kunju and Jose Kutty, were involved in a separate altercation with some labourers near the canteen at the MRPL site, he said.
When Thomas, a relative of the suspects, tried to intervene and stop the fight, he was attacked with an iron rod. Thomas was later admitted to the hospital with serious injuries, he said.
A case was filed against Achhan Kunju and Jose Kutty for this incident as well. These same suspects were later involved in the attack and murder of security guard Narayan, the official said.
Despite the police's efforts to gather information and apprehend the suspects over the years, they managed to remain at large, he said.
After committing the crime, the suspects fled to Kerala and then went into hiding in various states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. An arrest warrant had been issued against them, he added.
Achhan Kunju passed away approximately eight years ago. However, the other suspect, Jose Kutty, continued to evade capture, police said.
For the past four months, the Mangaluru CCB police had been gathering intelligence on his whereabouts, they said.
On October 23, they arrested Jose Kutty Pappachan (55), son of Pappachan from Thrippunithura, in Kerala's Ernakulam and handed him over to Surathkal Police Station for further proceedings, the official added.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
