The Kerala police have solved a high-profile theft case of ₹1 crore and 300 sovereigns of gold from the residence of a prominent trader in Kannur district. The accused, identified as Vijesh, 30, is a neighbour of the victim.
The arrest was made on Saturday by an investigative team formed to probe the theft. Vijesh, a welder from the same locality as the victim, had the stolen cash and jewelry recovered from beneath a cot at his home, as reported by PTI.
According to the police, the arrest was made possible by essential evidence from CCTV footage and fingerprints lifted from the crime scene. The CCTV visuals had recorded the suspect returning to the trader’s house on the day following the burglary. The suspicion that the thief was known to the household led to further investigation. A chisel found at the scene and fingerprints matched with Vijesh.
The burglary happened when Ashraf, a rice merchant, and his family had gone to attend a wedding in Madurai on November 19. They returned on November 24 and found the robbery. They immediately lodged a complaint with the police. A relative of the family told the media that cash, gold, and other valuables were kept in a cupboard, and the key was kept in another room.
The police investigations revealed that the burglars had gained entry by gas-cutting the iron grill of the kitchen window. Three individuals scaling the compound wall to gain entry into the house was captured in the CCTV footage. The forensic department from Kerala collected fingerprints and all other vital evidences and this led to a widescale search for the accused.
According to a report from The Times of India, Kerala has seen a rise in burglary cases involving gangs from other states. If 192 such cases were reported in 2021, the number increased to 519 in 2023. The police have arrested 1,325 people in this connection, but recovering the stolen gold has remained a tough task.
