Neighbour arrested over theft of Rs 1 cr, 267 sovereign gold heist in Kerala's Kannur
The accused, Lijeesh (45), was taken into custody on Saturday by an investigation team formed to probe the case, the police said.
PTI
KANNUR: The Kerala police on Monday arrested the neighbour of a trader in connection with the theft of over Rs 1 crore and 267 sovereigns of gold, valued at approximately Rs 1.52 crore, from the latter's residence in Kannur district about two weeks ago.
The accused, Lijeesh (45), was taken into custody on Saturday by an investigation team formed to probe the case, the police said. His arrest was recorded on Monday after he confessed to his crime on Sunday evening during interrogation.
Kannur city police commissioner, Ajit Kumar said in a press conference that Lijeesh, a Gulf returnee, a welder by profession, carried out the theft by breaking the window of the house in Valapattanam.
The stolen cash amounting to Rs 1.21 crore and 267 sovereigns of gold were recovered from beneath a cot at the house of Lijeesh.
Gold merchants said that 267 sovereigns of gold are valued at around Rs 1.52 crore, according to Monday's market value. Police said that inside his own house, beneath the bed, Lijeesh had created a secret compartment, where he stored the stolen gold and money.
The breakthrough in the investigation came through CCTV footage and fingerprint evidence, the police said.
During the investigation, the fingerprints were matched with similar evidence collected from other cases and were found to match with an unresolved theft that occurred in Keecheri in the district a year ago.
The theft in Valapattanam residence occurred on November 20. Lijeesh carried out the operation in just 40 minutes, police said.
CCTV footage showed the accused, a bald-headed man, returning to the same house the day after the theft, raising suspicions of the involvement of someone familiar with the household, the police said.
He made efforts to cut the CCTV camera. When one CCTV camera was repositioned to avoid capturing his image, it instead provided a clear view of a room inside the house, the police said, adding that this footage was key in identifying and capturing the accused.
During the theft, Lijeesh left behind a tool he had used. He returned to the house on November 21 to recover it but was unsuccessful, and he confessed about it during questioning. The tool was later discovered during the police investigation.
He was produced in a court here on Monday evening for judicial remand. The police said that his custody would be sought later for detailed interrogation.
The theft occurred while Ashraf, a rice trader, and his family from Valapattanam were attending a wedding in Madurai in Tamil Nadu on November 19.
They came to know about the theft, upon returning home on November 24. A special team was constituted by the police to investigate the case.
