Instagram post, friend’s call give clues; Kerala Police nabs man stealing ₹2.35 lakh near Bhutan border

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Salman Munda (25), a resident of Behal Division, West Bengal, was arrested near the Bhutan border by Kadinamkulam police after allegedly stealing around ₹2.35 lakh. The arrest took place at his female friend’s house in Jalpaiguri in West Bengal.

The theft at the bar hotel

Munda, who had recently returned to work at a bar hotel in Kadinamkulam, allegedly stole ₹2.35 lakh from there on September 17. Being a former employee, he was aware that daily earnings were usually kept in the manager’s cabin overnight before being deposited in the bank the next day.

How the theft was carried out

At around 3 a.m. on September 17, the accused reportedly obtained the keys from the security staff, entered the bar, and used a knife to open the drawer where the money was stored.

Flight and Instagram post

After the theft, Munda travelled by auto-rickshaw to Thampanoor and then took a bus to his friend’s house in Tiruppur. From there, he posted a “Go Back to Home” reel on Instagram. Later, his phone was switched off, though his female friend had called him multiple times.

Police tracking leads to arrest

Since he had the money in hand, the police presumed he would return to his native place. Using the female friend’s phone location, the police tracked him to Jalpaiguri. With the assistance of the Bengal police, Munda was arrested from a house located in a tea plantation near the Bhutan border.

Police operation and recovery

Under the supervision of Kadinamkulam SHO Saju, SI Anoop, and CPOs Hashim and Suresh Kumar travelled to Bengal to arrest the accused. ₹70,000 was recovered from his possession. Munda was presented before the court and remanded.