A 47-year-old man who went absconding after getting bail in a 2016 rape case was arrested by Thalassery police on Sunday night in Ernakulam, more than 10 years after he avoided trial. Puthanveet Ashraf of Velimon, Cherinad, in Kollam District, was taken into custody by a Special Investigation Team in Ernakulam.

The case was registered in 2016 after a woman from Seyidarpalli went missing. During the probe the victim identified Ashraf as the person who took her to Ernakulam and assaulted her. Ashraf was arrested, produced in court, and remanded. He later secured bail and absconded, leading the court to declare him a proclaimed offender and delaying trial proceedings.

Police say Ashraf used matrimonial websites to befriend and exploit women. He is also accused of marrying another woman in Kollam and posing as a painter in Ernakulam to evade detection. A Special Team conducted covert inquiries across both districts for about two weeks before arresting him in Ernakulam last night.