Gold ornaments, valuables go missing from Karipur police station; cops begin internal probe

Malappuram: Gold ornaments along with several other material kept in police custody, have gone missing from the Karipur Police Station in Malappuram district, prompting the Kerala Police to launch a detailed internal inquiry.

According to police sources, the missing valuables include ornaments recovered from public places over the years, including articles found within the premises of Karipur International Airport and handed over to the police for safe custody. The disappearance of these came to light during a routine inspection conducted by the Special Branch, following which a preliminary report was submitted to senior police officials.

The missing items are case properties that were either handed over by members of the public or recovered by police personnel and were required to be preserved safely at the station until their rightful owners could be traced or legal formalities completed.

Among the articles reported missing are a gold chain and a bracelet entrusted to the station by local residents before 2018, as well as two gold chains, two earrings and a ring recovered in October 2024. Some of these ornaments had been found at Karipur International Airport and later deposited at the police station.

A senior police officer associated with the preliminary inquiry told Onmanorama that the inspection revealed that not only gold ornaments but several other materials kept in station custody were also unaccounted for. "We found that not only gold items but several other articles kept at the station are missing. At this stage, we cannot confirm the exact quantity or value of the missing materials. Those details can be established only after the ongoing detailed inquiry is completed," the officer said.

Police sources said senior officers have directed the present Station House Officer (SHO) to account for the missing properties and cooperate with the inquiry.

Valuables recovered by the police are normally stored in secure custody and are not easily accessible. The disappearance of multiple case properties from inside a police station has therefore raised serious concerns within the department.

Meanwhile, an officer attached to the Karipur Police Station said that police frequently receive articles handed over by the public, especially items recovered from the airport premises. According to the officer, many such objects are initially deposited at the station without an immediate assessment of whether they are genuine gold or merely gold-coloured ornaments.

"The exact nature, quantity and value of such recovered objects are usually determined only during detailed verification conducted later. Therefore, a comprehensive examination is necessary before arriving at any conclusion regarding the total value of the missing materials," the officer said.

The incident has added to the controversies surrounding Karipur Police Station. A few months ago, three police personnel attached to the station were suspended over allegations of links with a smuggling network in connection with an earlier investigation.

Senior police officers have stressed that the current inquiry is aimed at establishing the complete inventory of missing materials, determining when the articles disappeared and fixing responsibility. Officials said the exact value of the missing properties and the circumstances under which they went missing will become clear only after the departmental investigation is completed.