Arjun Ayanki after his arrest by the Kannur town police on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: S.K. MOHAN
Criminal-case accused Arjun Ayanki was remanded in judicial custody by the Koothuparamba Magistrate Court on Sunday (August 9, 2026) in a case registered by the Kannur cyber police. He was subsequently shifted to the special sub-jail in Thalassery.
His lawyer M.K. Hassan said there were several other cases registered against Arjun. “Even if he secures bail in Sunday’s case, the police may subsequently arrest him in connection with other cases. We have already decided that we will not apply for bail in this case,” Mr. Hassan said.
The Oonnukal police police are expected to approach the Kannur court on Monday (August 10, 2026) seeking his formal arrest in another case.
The police, in the remand report, said granting bail to Arjun could lead to repetition of offences and that there was a possibility of him absconding and destroying evidence.
The police said Arjun’s Facebook posts targeting Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala were intended to provoke the public, disturb public peace and incite violence. The post allegedly contained obscene remarks and threats against the Minister. The cybercrime police sub-inspector is investigating the case, according to the report.
The report also said a case had been registered against Arjun for allegedly posting sexually explicit remarks and threats on Facebook targeting the station house officer of the Kothamangalam police station and his family. Another case was registered by the Oonnukal police after Arjun allegedly abused and threatened the inspector through social media, following the Kerala High Court’s rejection of his anticipatory bail plea.
The police said a Statewide search had been launched to trace Arjun who allegedly continued to make provocative statements on social media while in hiding and challenging the legal system and the police. He was finally taken into custody around 2.30 a.m. on Sunday from near Thalikavu in Kannur by the town police. Arjun had reached an apartment occupied by an advocate couple at Thalikavu. The advocates reportedly maintained that he could not be arrested without a warrant. Arjun allegedly attempted to escape from the apartment during the ensuing developments and was caught by the police.
Advocate Delitaa Titus told the media that Arjun had come to meet her with the intention of surrendering on Sunday. She denied hiding him and said she handed him over to the police as soon as they arrived.
Brother held
The Nadakkavu police in Kozhikode arrested Ajay Ayanki, younger brother of Arjun Ayanki, for allegedly providing financial assistance to him while he was absconding.
Ajay was taken into custody as part of the preventive detention procedures under section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita when he reached a private establishment near Nadakkavu area in Kozhikode city around midnight on Saturday, the police said.
According to police sources, Ajay’s bank account was reportedly used for crowdfunding plans after the bank accounts of Arjun had been frozen. Ajay was also accused of circulating a QR code linked to his account on social media to collect funds, they said.
The investigators also claimed that Ajay helped prepare and circulate various social media posts against the police while Arjun, a key accused in several criminal cases, was absconding. He was also allegedly involved in maintaining Arjun’s presence on social media, the police said.
Ajay was later released on bail on condition that he should turn up for further interrogation in connection with the case. One of his close friends who turned up as a bail guarantor was also taken into preventive custody following reports that he was involved in various criminal cases in Kozhikode city. The arrest followed an intensive search launched by the police from Saturday afternoon after receiving information that Arjun was in Taliparamba. His movements had triggered criticism of the police after CCTV footage emerged showing him crossing the Paliyekkara toll plaza in a car and later having tea with friends at a cafe attached to Ayurgreen hospital in Edappal.
Arjun’s political activities
Arjun, a native of Kappakkadavu in Azhikode, began his political activities as a unit secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India and later became prominent on social media as a Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] cyber activist. He gained substantial following by aggressively targeting political opponents online.
His name, however, later became associated with organised criminal activities. He gained notoriety in connection with the Karipur gold smuggling case and was allegedly involved in gangs that intercepted and robbed smuggled gold transported from airports.
He is also a key accused in the Ramanattukara gold smuggling-related incident in which five people were killed.
Cases relating to an alleged attempt to run over members of a gold smuggling gang with a vehicle, besides cases registered by the Customs department in connection with gold smuggling, are also pending against him.
Following the emergence of his alleged criminal links, the DYFI expelled Arjun from the organisation. The CPI(M) leadership has repeatedly maintained that the party has no association with cyber or quotation gangs.
Published – August 09, 2026 07:18 pm IST
