A suspected sorcery attempt took an unexpected turn in broad daylight at Thamarassery on Wednesday after a man allegedly placed ritual materials outside the wrong house, leading to his exposure through CCTV footage.

The incident occurred around 2.30 pm near the Chungam Checkpost junction in Thamarassery town. The house, whose owner is currently abroad, was occupied by his 40-year-old wife and their 18-year-old daughter at the time.

According to the girl, she first noticed a man loitering in front of the house through CCTV visuals. "Initially, we thought he was just searching for something. But as we watched closely, we realised he was looking for a patch of soil, as the courtyard is tiled," she told Onmanorama. The footage showed the man, aged around 40, moving around the premises before discreetly placing ritual items in a small soil-covered area.

Sensing something unusual, the woman and her daughter stepped outside to question the man, who immediately fled the scene. The two gave chase on a scooter towards the nearby junction and, with the help of local residents, managed to apprehend him. He was later handed over to the police.

Police subsequently took the man back to the house and recovered the ritual materials, including turmeric powder, rice, oil and flowers.

The girl said the man later admitted that he had been hired by the owner of a neighbouring house to perform a sorcery ritual. "He told us he was supposed to place the items in front of the neighbouring house, but made a mistake as both houses look similar," she said.

During questioning by locals, the man claimed that the ritual was commissioned by the neighbour, who allegedly believed that placing the items would force his wife to leave the house within a few days.

The girl said that her father, who is abroad, also noticed the suspicious activity on CCTV and contacted the family immediately to enquire about the man. The suspect was later identified as a native of Engappuzha near Thamarassery.

Meanwhile, Thamarassery police said no case was registered as no formal complaint was filed in connection with the incident.