After his father's death, the family fell into poverty and Kochunni was employed in a grocery store.
Both the palace and police officials failed to find Kochunni, after which a warrior, Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, was enlisted with the task, who eventually captured him and submitted him to the Diwan.
He sought the help of Kochunni's acquaintances Kochu Pillai, Kopparaparambil Mammad, Kaduvachery Vava, Kottappurathu Bappukunju, Pakkolathu Noorammadhu, and Valiyakulangara Kunjumarakkar.
Kochunni was invited to Kochu Pillai's wife's home in Vazhappally and sedated him by drugging food.
He was arrested, and while transporting him to Thiruvananthapuram through Kayamkulam backwaters, he regained sense and managed to escape by leaping into the water.
While another of the same account states he was successfully transported to Thiruvananthapuram, incarcerated and hanged after 91 days (in 1859 at the age of 41) and his remains to have buried at the Pettah Juma Masjid.
[8] A shrine dedicated to Kochunni is attached to Edappara Maladevar Nada Temple near Kozhencherry that dates back more than one and a half centuries.
People there offer candles, incense sticks, ganja, country-made liquor, betel leaves, pan, areca nut, tobacco, etc.