Kunnathangadi (Thrissur): In a shocking daylight robbery attempt, a man who reached a garment shop in Kunnathangadi dressed in women's attire, attacked the shopowner's wife, on Sunday.
Rema (50), wife of Ramachandran, owner of Prabha Fashion and Innerwears, was beaten on the head with an iron rod by the robber.
The locals only realised the accused was a man after removing his mask and shawl.
He had even worn women's innerwear. Nobody would have taken him for a man, said an onlooker.
On further investigation, it came to light that the accused is a native of Veluthur. Anthikkad Inspector P K Das and team took the accused -- Paloli Dhanesh (40) -- into custody.
Rema, who sustained serious injuries in the attack, is under treatment in a private hospital in Thrissur.
It was the locals who rushed to the shop and caught hold of Dhanesh, who was trying to escape and handed him over to the police.
The incident happened around 2.15 pm on Sunday.
How the events transpired
Dhanesh reached the shop dressed as a woman in the afternoon. He had draped a shawl over his head and was wearing a mask. Pretending to be a cancer patient who is mute, Dhanesh asked Rema to show him some samples of garments in sign language.
He asked for a blouse and churidar (both widely considered women's attire) material. When Rema placed the clothes on the counter, Dhanesh signed he doesn't have enough money and left the shop saying he'll come back with the amount.
On returning, he asked Rema for the bill. When she bent to get the bill book from one of the drawers, the accused hit her on the head using an iron rod. Rema was hit two more times before she managed to push Dhanesh away.
By then, other shopkeepers and locals rushed to the shop hearing Rema cry out loud for help. They caught hold of the accused and tied him outside the shop till the police arrived.
According to Rema, Dhanesh had come to their shop a week ago dressed as a woman to make a purchase. "He bought some things on that day and also paid for them promptly. There was no reason for suspicion," said Rema.
As per reports, Dhanesh was earlier in the Gulf. Locals said he later ran a lottery business and a restaurant in Kunnathangadi centre.
Meanwhile, police were on the lookout for the accused behind a similar incident that happened in the fourth centre of Kunnathangadi eight months ago.
The accused reportedly entered a shop called Sandra Stores and hit an employee on the head. The attack happened when nobody else was in the shop.
Despite a special squad being deployed to probe the case, there had been no breakthrough. That is when Sunday's incident happened.
