Jail bond sparks crime spree; 11 thefts in Iritty and Karnataka: Interstate thieves arrested

Iritty: Two Malayali men were arrested from Virajpet in Karnataka in connection with a string of robberies and bike thefts from shops, houses, temples, mosques and churches in the Iritty, Kodagu and Mysuru areas.

T A Salim (42) and Sanju (also known as Sanjay Kumar) (30) were arrested by the Virajpet and Iritty Police. Salim has a long history of theft cases spanning 20 years across Kerala, Kodagu and Mysuru districts and has previously served time in prison.

According to the Virajpet Police, Salim was caught stealing from a petrol pump in Virajpet in July. Despite being out on bail, he continued his criminal activities, leading to several more thefts.

Series of robberies in religious sites and shops

On August 10, the duo targeted a temple, Perinchery Church, a mosque and a house, committing multiple thefts. Later, on August 21, they broke into two mobile shops in Iritty Town, stealing phones and cash. They also took a bike parked in front of the Iritty CPM area committee office. A case was registered against them for the robberies in Iritty as well as the theft of two two-wheelers.

In total, five cases have been registered against them in various stations in Kodagu district, two in Mysuru city and four in Kannur district. The police seized three two-wheelers worth Rs 1,50,000 and Rs 9,050 from the accused.

Criminal bond formed in prison

Salim and Sanjay Kumar first met in jail in 2011 while serving sentence for a theft case in Madikeri. Their prison friendship evolved into a criminal partnership, leading to joint robberies in Kushalnagar, Madikeri, Hunsur, Piriyapatna and various locations in Kerala, according to the Virajpet Police.

Last month, the Iritty Police was actively investigating the thefts from the mobile shops and the stolen bike. Surveillance footage captured on the day of the thefts provided critical evidence, showing the duo heading towards Thalassery with the stolen bike before returning to Karnataka via Koottupuzha.

Capture and ongoing investigation

Based on this information, the police team, led by Iritty Inspector A Kuttikrishnan, tracked down the suspects in Karnataka. The breakthrough came on August 28 when a shop owner lodged a complaint at Virajpet Rural Police Station, reporting that thieves had broken the shutter of a supermarket in Virajpet and stole Rs 25,000 and cigarette packets.

The two suspects were arrested in Virajpet during the investigation, which was conducted under the direction of senior district police officers. Currently in the custody of the Karnataka Police, the accused will be brought to Iritty for further investigation.