Kozhikode: The Crime Branch apprehended the Principal Sub Inspector of Mukkom police station for his alleged involvement in the theft of an earthmover from the station premises.
The accused TT Noushad, who was already under suspension, was detained by Crime Branch DySP Pramod on Tuesday.
The earthmover was initially seized by a police team led by SI Noushad on August 19, 2023, following a fatal accident with a motorbike at Valillapuzha in Kozhikode. Aneesh, who hailed from Thottumukkom, was killed after being hit by the earthmover.
After being taken into custody, the earthmover was kept at the Mukkom police station compound. As the vehicle lacked insurance coverage, its owner's son, Martin, and his associates reportedly hatched a plot to swap it with another earthmover bearing valid documents. They stole the vehicle in the wee hours of October 10, 2023.
The theft was uncovered when officers, including the then SI Noushad, investigated after noticing the earthmover had been replaced. They analysed the CCTV footage from the police station and learned that visuals were not recorded.
However the subsequent probe led to the arrest of six individuals, including Martin, from various locations, and they revealed Noushad's involvement in the plot. The arrested were later released on bail and the stolen earthmover was recovered from the house of a relative of the vehicle's owner.
As Crime Branch took over the case, they collected CCTV footage of the car which was used by the six accused at the time of theft. Analysing the phone details of Noushad, DySP Pramod and his team confirmed the SI's presence with the accused on the day and later revealed that Noushad was travelling with Basheer, the prime accused in the case.
Basheer was a close acquaintance of Noushad and was the middleman linking the SI with the co-accused Martin. Noushad was released later on bail with bonds of 2 individuals and Rs 50,000, Pramod added.
