Kochi: Three inmates of a COVID-19 relief camp, where homeless people were accommodated, have been arrested for stealing ceiling fans from the camp and selling them to procure money to buy beedi.
Alappuzha Haripad native Sudheesh (37), Kollam Punalur native Maju Muhammedali (28) and Ernakulam Chakkaraparambu native Jinthesh (39) were arrested by the Central Police.
The fans were stolen from Ernakulam South Government Girls Higher Secondary School where homeless people were accommodated. The robbery came to light when PTA president Shibu visited the school on Wednesday.
He found that some of the classrooms were open and the fans in the rooms had disappeared. Shibu immediately contacted the principal suspecting robbery. The principal came to the school quickly and confirmed the robbery.
With this, they contacted the police. As they interrogated the accused, it was revealed that the fans were sold to a scrap metal shop in Ernakulam. The accused also admitted that they sold the fans to procure money to buy beedi, the police said.
