Thief who stole from Sannidhanam donation box lands in police custody

The Pampa police have arrested a thief from Tamil Nadu who decamped with valuables by breaking open a donation box at Sannidhanam last month. He had been frequenting the Sabarimala temple for years posing as a casual worker.

The accused, identified as Suresh, 32, from Keelasuranda in Tenkasi district, carried out the theft on August 20 during the temple’s monthly pujas. However, the incident only came to the attention of the Travancore Devaswom Board officials after the temple closed for the month. Meanwhile, the fact that the burglary took place in the presence of devotees, TDB employees and security officials has left the authorities in shock.

Following a complaint, the Pampa police registered a case after reviewing CCTV footage from the pilgrimage zone and monitoring casual workers at Sannidhanam. The police had received a tip-off about the thief.

Despite regularly visiting the temple for years, Suresh did not return this month after learning about the police investigation. The fact that he did not use a mobile phone did not help the investigation. The police extended their search to Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Madurai.

After several days of surveillance, the investigation team tracked down the accused to his hideout in Suranda, near Tenkasi. They set a trap and successfully took him into custody. He was later brought to the Pampa police station, where he confessed to the theft during interrogation.

Taking a serious note of the incident, Pathanamthitta District police have initiated measures to enhance CCTV surveillance along the trekking path and at Sannidhanam. A direction to ensure that all casual workers at Sannidhanam possessed police clearance certificates too has been issued

Published - September 24, 2024 07:27 pm IST