Sri Lankan man who jumped Kerala police custody detained by island nation's navy

Thrissur: A Sri Lankan national, who had given the slip to the Kerala police while he was being taken to a local court here as an accused in a drug case last month, has been detained by the Navy in that country, police said on Monday.

The accused, Ajit Kishan Perera, who had been lodged in the Viyyur Central Prison since July, 2021, had escaped from police custody when he was brought to Ayanthol court here last month.

He had later reached his home country reportedly in a stolen boat but the Sri Lankan Navy intercepted him based on a look-out notice issued against him by the Kerala police, a police official said here.

"He had reportedly stolen the boat from Kanyakumari. Procedures are on to get his custody and bring him back here," the official added.