Thodupuzha: A passenger was robbed of a four-sovereign gold chain while he was asleep at the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) depot here on Monday.

CCTV visuals show a man sitting close to Aneesh Kumar, a native of Maruthumkuzhi in Purappuzha, removing the chain without waking him. Though the victim woke up immediately after the theft, he appeared drowsy and did not realise that the elderly man sitting next to him had robbed him. The accused then calmly pocketed the chain and left the spot.

The incident occurred around 5 am when Aneesh had arrived at the depot to board a bus to Kozhikode. While waiting, he reportedly fell asleep on a chair at the bus stand. He realised the chain was missing only later during his journey.

Following this, Aneesh returned and lodged a complaint with the police. CCTV visuals of the crime surfaced during the probe, and police have launched a manhunt to trace the accused based on the footage.

Preliminary indications suggest that the suspect boarded a bus towards the Muvattupuzha side.