A daylight theft of ₹8.50 lakh and 40 sovereigns of gold from a house in Aluva reported earlier this month was found to be a made-up drama, the Ernakulam Rural police have said.
The complaint lodged with the Aluva police reportedly unravelled with the arrest of 36-year-old Anwar aka “Ustad” from Thrissur, who was renting a house at Kalamassery. According to the police, he was involved in sorcery and black magic.
The complaint about the alleged ‘theft’ from the house of Ibrahimkutty near the Casino theatre in Aluva was lodged with the police on January 6. According to the complaint, the theft occurred after breaking into the house when no one was present.
Following this, District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) Vaibhav Saxena formed a special investigation team, led by Aluva Deputy Superintendent of Police T.R. Rajesh. Fingerprint experts, a forensic team, and the dog squad thoroughly examined the house as part of the investigation. Numerous CCTV visuals were reviewed, and the team was divided into multiple squads for efficient investigation.
After a thorough scientific investigation, the police concluded that the so-called theft was a staged drama, orchestrated with the connivance of the lady of the house. The lady confirmed that she had fabricated the theft under the direction of Ustad, said the police.
She told the police that Ustad reportedly convinced her that her husband and children would die unless the sorcery was performed. He claimed that the sorcery would be ineffective if the money and valuables remained in the house. As a solution, the accused asked her to hand over the money and ornaments, which she did over a period of time, the police said.
The lady told the police that, following his advice, she reportedly broke the lock of the front door and created a scene with clothes scattered around to make it appear as a theft. The accused also allegedly confessed to receiving the money and ornaments.
The lady met him through a relative a couple of years ago and had been under his influence since then, the police said. The theft was staged when she had exhausted the money and ornaments and became worried that her husband might find out, they added. The police have reportedly launched an investigation into the accused’s background and his dealings.
The investigation team comprised inspector Sony Mathai, sub-inspectors K. Nandakumar, S. Sreelal, M.C. Harish, Arun Dev, Chithuji, Sijo George, assistant sub-inspectors Vinil Kumar, senior civil police officer O. Nawab, and civil police officers P.A. Naufal, Muhammed Ameer, Mahin Shah, Abubacker, and K.M. Manoj.
Published – January 12, 2025 12:12 am IST