No confirmation yet on ‘Kuruva’ gang’s role in theft attempts in Ernakulam

Two detained by Maradu police released after verification of their credentials

Two persons detained by the Maradu police and handed over to the Ernakulam Rural police over suspected links to ‘Kuruva’ gang, who are rumoured to be behind two theft attempts within the Rural police limits, have been released after due verification of their credentials.

The two were initially picked by the Maradu police from near the Kundannoor flyover from where a suspected member of the ‘Kuruva’ gang was nabbed by the Mannancherry police in Alappuzha for alleged involvement in a couple of thefts after hours-long drama on Saturday night. Though they were allowed to go that night, they were summoned again on Sunday.

According to the Maradu police, they had nine cases against them and their credentials appeared suspect. “Though they claimed to be from Kerala and had ID cards to prove their domicile in Wayanad and Nedumkandam, they spoke with a heavy Tamil accent. Besides, their wives were also from the ‘Kuruva’ tribe in Tamil Nadu,” said sources.

The Special Investigation Team probing the twin cases in Ernakulam Rural – one case each in Vadakkekara and North Paravur - took their custody for verifying their fingerprints and the Call Data Record of their mobile phones. “They were allowed to go after it was found that they had not been to the areas where the theft attempts had taken place. In fact, there is no confirmation yet that those behind the attempted thefts here were members of the ‘Kuruva’ gang. We have also questioned the two suspects the Mannancherry police have nabbed from near the Kundannoor flyover and ruled out their potential links to our cases,” said Rural police sources.

‘Kuruva’ gang is known to work in groups. They move around and are known to target multiple households and pull of heists even at the expense of violence. These traits were missing in the cases registered by the Rural police. In fact, an attempt was made only in the case registered in Vadakkekara while the one at North Paravur was registered merely on account of the presence of masked men in the compound of the house concerned. A case involving suspected ‘Kuruva’ gang was last reported in Ernakulam Rural in 2021 in Kalady and before that in Chengamanad in 2018.

The SIT continues to focus on history-sheeters who followed a similar modus operandi like being half-naked and having their faces covered as have emerged from the CCTV footage. “We collect their location and present activities. In some cases, they are brought in for further verification,” said sources.

The police have also collected extensive CCTV footage from 40-odd houses in the area. Besides, drone-driven surveillance was also conducted along the areas where the theft attempts were reported and the route taken by the suspects. Since the public remain alert, chances of suspects managing such hideouts remain remote, sources said.

In fact, the overzealous among the public continue to flood the police with reports of suspected persons. On Monday, two migrants were detained by the people in North Paravur under ‘suspicious circumstances.’ However, the police let them go after verifying their credentials.

Published - November 18, 2024 07:49 pm IST