A special investigation team of the Kunnathunadu police on Tuesday arrested a man accused of serial thefts numbering around 75.
The arrested was identified as Pareethu aka Appakkal Pareethu, 56, of Pothanikkad in Kothamangalam. He was arrested in a case registered in connection with a theft carried out after breaking into the office of Nellad Mahadeva Temple last November. The team formed by District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) K. Karthik arrested him from Perumbavoor. He has reportedly confessed to have carried out thefts at Eramkulam Sree Mahadeva Temple at Pattimattom in October and Poonoor Sree Mahadeva Temple at Vengola in December.
According to the police, the accused used to identify temples to be targeted during daytime. He would then take the last bus to a place near the temple that was targeted. The theft would be carried out in the morning hours and he would leave the area in the first bus. The accused has served imprisonment for nearly five years. He was released from Viyyur jail in November 2020.
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A team led by assistant superintendent Anooj Palival, inspector V.M. Kerson, sub-inspector M.P. Aby, assistant sub inspector K.K. Suresh Kumar, and senior civil police officers P.A. Abdul Manaf and T.A. Afsal made the arrest.