Abdul Sanoof (30), who was arrested from Chennai for the murder of Malappuram resident Faseela (33), frequently changed his clothes during travel and shaved his face to evade the surveillance cameras and mislead the cops who tailed him. He was nabbed from a lodge in Avadi, Chennai.

Sanoof's car was spotted by a night patrolling team under the Palakkad South Police. This car turned out to be the first thread to the police. When they checked the CCTV visuals, Sanoof was seen heading to the railway station. In the meantime, he changed his clothes and shaved his face.

Though he reached the railway station, it was not clear to which direction he had gone. Then, the police traced his mobile to Bengaluru. Nadakkavu Sub Inspector Binu Mohan and his team reached the city. Sanoof had checked into a hotel room in the city.

When the lookout notice was issued, he left for Chennai, where he collected a SIM card and contacted a hotel. The police followed him to the hotel and cordoned off the area. He was watching crime news on TV when the police arrested him.

During the police questioning, the accused confessed to the crime. He wanted to avenge Faseela for having accused him of sexual assault. After being released on bail, he met Faseela and requested to withdraw the complaint, but she declined the request. He brought her to the lodge room to make a contract to settle the case. A verbal spat ensued, and he strangulated her to death.

The investigation team headed by the Nadakkavu Station Inspector N. Prajeesh had to cover three states - Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka and was supported by the cyber cell.