Tirupati: A suspected serial killer wanted by the Kerala Police in connection with over 20 murder cases across three states has been arrested in Andhra Pradesh, police said.

The accused, identified as Abdul Azeez alias P. Vishwanath (also known as Prashanth), a native of Karnataka, was nabbed by Andhra Pradesh Police in Tirupati. A woman accomplice, Rajamma, has also been taken into custody.

Police said the accused was involved in at least 21 cases across Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and had been on the run for several years. His modus operandi involved targeting women living alone, befriending them to gain trust, and later killing them before fleeing with gold ornaments.

He is accused in 11 cases in Andhra Pradesh and four in Karnataka. In Kerala, he faces six cases and has been on the ‘most wanted’ list after escaping police custody in 2018 while being taken to court in a murder case.

Following his escape, the Kerala Police had announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for information leading to his arrest.

After fleeing Kerala, the accused reportedly lived under the alias ‘Vishwanath’ in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, using a fake Aadhaar card. He later moved to Tirupati, where he worked in hotels and as an autorickshaw driver while remaining in hiding.

Police said he was involved in at least four murders in Tirupati district over the past two years, including in Tiruchanoor, Ramachandrapuram and Pichatur areas. He allegedly used an autorickshaw to carry out the crimes.

The breakthrough came during the investigation of a murder case in Ramachandrapuram, where CCTV footage helped police trace the suspect and his vehicle, eventually leading to his arrest in Tirupati.

Officials said several long-pending murder and robbery cases have now been cracked following his arrest. Police recovered around 127.5 grams of gold ornaments and some silver from his possession.

The accused will be handed over to the Kerala Police for further investigation.