Kochi: When Tom Cruise’s Top Gun hit theatres, the world fell in love not just with his fighter jet manoeuvres, but with the unmistakable gleam of his aviator sunglasses. The Ray-Ban Aviator became more than an accessory, they became a symbol of courage, confidence, and coolness that every pilot carried with pride. For Indian Air Force Squadron Leader Sherin Kuriakose too, the iconic shades are more than a style statement but a part of her uniform, her sky armour, and a vital tool protecting her eyes as she pilots the IAF’s An-32 aircraft high above the clouds.

But a few days ago in Fort Kochi, those very sunglasses set off an unexpected chain of events, one that revealed a deeper lesson about empathy and second chances. Her Air Force-issued Ray-Bans were stolen from a restaurant table in Fort Kochi and within hours, police traced the missing sunglasses to a van 62 kilometres away in Kodakara, Thrissur and with them, a young B.Tech student from Andhra Pradesh who had stolen them.

What could have ended with an arrest instead quickly turned from a simple theft into something far more meaningful. Kuriakose chose not to press charges. She believed a single mistake should not derail the youth’s life if he gets booked. The student returned the sunglasses safely and apologised, and at her request, the police let him go after a strict warning. 

The incident took place on the afternoon of November 5, when Kuriakose, a native of Aluva and a transport pilot currently posted at Sulur Air Force Station in Coimbatore, was in Fort Kochi on an official visit. She took her parents, retired civil engineer KV Kuriakose and retired banker Salomi, out for lunch at a local restaurant. Around 2.30 pm, as they stepped in, she accidentally left her Air Force-issued Ray-Ban aviators on a table. And by the time she realised she misplaced it later, they were gone.

A complaint was filed at the Fort Kochi police station in the evening. Inspector MS Faisal and his team immediately began their investigation. The only clue was a blurry CCTV frame from the restaurant showing a young man among a group of tourists who had entered the restaurant to use the washroom.

Undeterred, the team scanned nearby CCTV footage, eventually tracing a van that had ferried the tourist group. The driver confirmed that the description of the youth matched one of his passengers and that the stolen sunglasses were indeed with him. The van was intercepted by Kodakara police in Thrissur, 62 kilometres away, within just four hours of filing the complaint. The youth, a B.Tech student from Andhra Pradesh, confessed that he had taken the sunglasses ‘out of temptation’ when he saw them lying unattended.

According to Defence PRO, Kerala, Commander Atul Pillai, Kuriakose decided not to press charges. “She believed in giving second chances to rectify one’s mistakes. Every defence personnel is responsible for his or her official belongings. Thanks to the efficient and coordinated support of the Kerala Police, Sherin Kuriakose could get her sunglasses back within a few hours. But when she got to know it was a 20-year-old student who took it, she decided to not file a case and requested the police to let him go after a strict warning. Because, if she had filed a case it would ruin his life. It would be a small start to a very bad future. Instead, she accepted the youth’s sincere apologies and gave him a chance to realise his mistake and correct himself. She believed such a gesture would do more good to him than punishing him,” Pillai said.

For Kuriakose, it wasn’t just about retrieving a pair of sunglasses, it was about showing compassion where it mattered most. She hoped the young man would understand that no mistake, however small, goes unseen in a world surrounded by CCTV cameras and that real redemption lies in acknowledging and learning from one’s errors.

Police sources said Kuriakose initially feared she would never get the glasses back. “It was a bit challenging but we acted swiftly,” said SHO Faisal. “We had to scan through multiple CCTV footage to finally identify the vehicle in which the accused had gone from the hotel. We later contacted the van driver and confirmed that the accused was a passenger. Later, with the help of Kodakara police, we nabbed him. He confessed that he took it out of temptation but since the complainant decided to not press charges, we released him after strict warning,” he said.

Interestingly, this was not the first time she had chosen forgiveness over punishment. Four years ago, her iPad went missing at Kochi airport. The police later found that a 10-year-old boy had taken it. Then too, she decided not to file a case, instead speaking with the child’s parents and advising them to help him understand the consequences of such actions. 

Kuriakose, commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2015, now flies the An-32, one of the workhorse transport aircraft of the IAF. Pilots like her are issued Ray-Ban aviator-style sunglasses not for fashion, but for protection from the intense glare and UV radiation encountered at high altitudes. 

In a letter to Kochi City Police Deputy Commissioner Aswathy Jiji, she expressed her gratitude to the police for their swift and professional response. The letter mentioned that the sunglasses, part of her official flying clothing, were priceless in both function and significance. She commended Inspector Faisal, Sub-Inspector Anjana, and Senior Civil Police Officers Mahesh KC and Sabeer Basheer for their “prompt action in initiating the investigation, tracing the culprit,” adding that their efficiency and commitment “stood as a testament to their sense of duty.” The letter also noted that their exemplary work “upholds the finest traditions of policing and reinforces public faith in the Kerala Police.”