A masterful piece of detective work has earned the Kunnamkulam police widespread praise after they successfully tracked down a notorious thief and recovered a 65-year-old, 15-kilogram Panchaloha idol stolen from the Thekkepuram Makkalikkavu Mahakali Temple. The suspect, identified as 46-year-old Manaf (also known as Puthuveettil Manaf) from Chavakkad Mallad, was arrested following a swift, multi-layered investigation that bypassed his attempts to outsmart the police. Local residents and the temple management committee have organised a public felicitation to honour the dedicated officers.

The heist occurred on the night of 10 September 2026, sending shockwaves through the local community. The following morning, the assistant priest arrived to find the temple's inner sanctum, the Sreekovil, breached. The perpetrator had retrieved the keys from the Thidappally (temple kitchen) to unlock the shrine, making off with the heavy Panchaloha deity idol and a silver-wrapped conch shell. In an attempt to evade identification, the intruder had used a silk shroud, traditionally offered to the goddess, to blind the CCTV camera positioned near the sanctum.

With no direct CCTV footage from inside the temple compound, the investigation team faced a major setback. However, a special team formed under the direction of City Police Commissioner Nakul R Deshmukh and Kunnamkulam Assistant Police Commissioner Saju K Abraham quickly pivoted. They began scanning footage from private establishments nearby and hit their first breakthrough: a low-resolution clip from a neighbouring furniture shop showing a suspect riding a motorcycle. Although neither the registration plate nor the rider's face was clear, it provided a vital lead.

Days later, the motorcycle was discovered abandoned near the Guruvayur KSRTC bus stand. Forensic experts moved in swiftly. City police fingerprint expert KP Balakrishnan successfully matched prints recovered from the motorcycle with latent prints left behind at the temple crime scene. This confirmed that the bike belonged to the burglar, who was known to use stolen vehicles to carry out high-profile robberies.

With the suspect's identity narrowed down to Manaf, a repeat offender with a history of similar property crimes, the cyber cell was deployed to track his digital footprint. He was eventually geolocated to Chendamangalam. Undercover officers were dispatched to the area to keep a close watch. Once the location of the stolen booty was confirmed, the police closed in, arresting Manaf and recovering the intact Panchaloha idol along with its pedestal, which he had buried in an attempt to hide the evidence. Interrogations revealed that Manaf intended to sell the valuable antique to an interstate smuggling syndicate and was holding onto it to negotiate a higher price.