The Thiruvananthapuram Rural Police on Saturday announced the arrest of wanted criminal Johnson George alias Karate Johny, 30, of Poovar, who has over 30 cases ranging from frequent attacks on policemen, instigating communal riots, assaults, extortion to smuggling and rape, registered against him.
Shefeen Ahamed K., Superintendent of Police (Thiruvananthapuram Rural), said the police had been on Johny’s trail for several months, especially since his escape in April after stabbing three civil police officers who tried to nab him from Vizhinjam.
Refuge at sea
Johny, who was on the police radar after the Poovar riots of 2005, had been hiding. At times he went with fishermen from Poovar to the sea to hide from the police and used boats to travel along the coastline without setting foot outside Poovar on the mainland. However, on Friday, the Shadow Police team got a tip-off that Johny was in Varkala, where he had assaulted a person.
A 15-member team cornered him at Attingal. There too, Johny allegedly resisted arrest and attacked the policemen, who finally managed to nab the fifth degree black-belt holder. Several other teams were posted around the area during the operation to prevent Johny from escaping, Mr. Ahamed said, adding that he was taken to the local police station and later to the court under high security.
Track record
Johny, who allegedly used religious sentiments to garner support from local people in Poovar, who reportedly refused police entry into his colony, has been notorious for his attacks on policemen. In 2005, he had taken away a suspect, Joy, who was taken into custody, while in 2011, he attacked an SI, Sylvester, and in 2012, threatened Rasalraj, another SI, using a sword.
