Ernakulam: Residents across several neighbourhoods in Muvattupuzha municipality are living in fear after an unidentified individual or group fastened plastic cable ties onto the gates and vehicle brake levers of more than 15 homes. The mysterious activity, concentrated in Wards 9 and 10, including Kavumkara, Fresh Cola, and Market areas, has triggered widespread panic and prompted locals to launch night patrols.

Swift and deliberate targeting
The incident unfolded on a Saturday evening within a narrow 30-minute window between 8 pm and 8.30 pm. One resident returned home at 8.15 pm to find his front gate bound shut with a heavy-duty plastic tie. Although initially dismissed as a prank by children, neighbours soon discovered identical cable ties cinched tightly around nearby gates and the handlebar brake levers of parked two-wheelers.

CCTV bypassed by suspect
According to Muhammed Cherukappally, the ward member for Ward 10, the perpetrator targeted 11 houses in his ward and two in the adjacent Ward 9. In one stretch, eight consecutive houses were tagged. Tellingly, the perpetrator skipped a property fitted with visible CCTV cameras and instead tagged an under-construction building next door.

Cherukappally noted that the cable ties used cost around ₹7 each and require deliberate effort to thread and pull tight through small openings. Executing this on over 15 properties in such short order suggests deliberate planning rather than a casual prank.

Heightened anxiety and police probe
Muvattupuzha police confirmed that an official investigation was under way. Officers have examined CCTV footage from surrounding roads but have so far failed to identify any suspects. With no clarity on the motive, and fears that the tags could be markers for planned burglaries, residents are maintaining strict vigils.

Local anxiety remains so acute that minor occurrences trigger alarms. Cherukappally recalled being called at 1 am by anxious residents who spotted a light inside an unfinished house, only to find it was a security light installed to deter copper wire theft. Until the police unravel the mystery, the community remains on high alert.