Harippad: The police have arrested a 45-year-old in connection with a series of thefts, including breaking into the house of a soldier at Thamallakkal and stealing gold and cash, as well as robbing the Guru temple in Karuvatta and nearby homes.

The accused, identified as Rafeeq of Shereeq Manzil, a native of Chemmanganad near Kottarakkara, broke into the house of Biju, a soldier residing at Thallakkal Vadakku, and made away with 16 sovereigns of gold ornaments and ₹2,000 in cash. The theft occurred in the early hours of June 6. Biju and his family were away at his in-laws’ house near Muthukulam, having returned home on vacation. The theft came to light only when they returned home.

Before targeting Biju's house, the accused had broken into the washroom of a house in Karuvatta and changed his clothes using towels stolen from there. He then proceeded to break the lock of a bakery in front of that house, from where he took biscuits and soda and walked nearly two kilometres to reach the soldier’s house. For breaking into that house, Rafeeq used weapons including a sharp steel rod and a machete, which he had stolen from another nearby house.

Following directives from District Police Chief Mohanachandran, a special team led by Harippad SHO Muhammad Shafi, under the supervision of Kayamkulam DYSP Babukuttan and Narcotics DYSP Pankajakshan, was constituted to track down the accused. Rafeeq was eventually arrested on the premises of the Beemapally mosque in Thiruvananthapuram. He had been released from jail only recently, on May 5.

The investigation team also included Sub Inspectors Sreekumar, Shaija, Adarsh, Sujith, ASI Sub Inspector, and CPOs Rekha, A Nishad, Sajjad, along with DANSAF team members Manikkuttan, Shahjahan, Iyas, and Deepak.

Bag carried by thief proves crucial
The bag carried by the accused and CCTV footage turned out to be key in tracking him down. Although he had covered his face and stolen the hard disk containing CCTV footage from the crime scene, making it difficult for the police to identify him, investigators pressed on. Clues emerged only after examining footage from around 30 CCTV cameras, including those installed near the soldier’s house and along the National Highway. Since the accused had also stolen the hard disk of the CCTV system at the bakery he broke into, no footage was available from there either.

Thefts continue even amidst investigation
Even as the police had constituted a special team and intensified their search efforts, Rafeeq returned to the area and committed further thefts, much to the shock of investigators. In the early hours of May 11, he targeted the Gurudeva Temple in Karuvatta and houses in its vicinity.

Rafeeq broke open the hundis (donation boxes) chained from both sides to the pillar of the Gurudeva temple and the adjacent Sharada Devi Temple, stealing cash from them. He further broke into the Thidappally (temple kitchen) and the store room of the temple. Inside the store, he forced open two more donation boxes and made away with cash and gold-plated items. He also stole ₹9,000 kept in the store room.

Experienced in ‘gold work’
Rafeeq’s sharp eye for gold set him apart from an ordinary thief. Even when imitation ornaments were kept alongside genuine gold, he stole only the real ones. Having worked for years with goldsmiths, Rafeeq had acquired the skill to distinguish real gold from fakes and used this ability effectively in his thefts.

In the soldier’s residence, for instance, gold and imitation ornaments were stored together. Yet, Rafeeq took only the genuine gold, leaving behind the imitations. This puzzled the investigating officers until Rafeeq, during interrogation, revealed his past experience in working with goldsmiths and his ability to identify real gold at a glance.