Kadakkavoor, Thiruvananthapuram: A bakery owner took a sweet revenge against a young man who had allegedly eaten food and taken items from his shop without paying. 

Instead of taking action against him or filing a complaint, the owner traced down the culprit and presented him with an award. The award is named after Meesha Madhavan, a hit Malayalam film starring Dileep, which tells the story of a clever thief.

The shoplifter received a plaque with the title ‘Meesha Madhavan Award 2025’, displaying his CCTV photo.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night around 8 PM at Adithya Bakery, when the young man entered the shop, consumed some food, and picked up goods from the supermarket section before leaving without paying. Other customers noticed the incident and informed the shop owner, Aneesh.

After reviewing CCTV footage, Aneesh identified the culprit. Along with his wife, he visited the young man at his home. To everyone’s surprise, he was presented with the “Meesha Madhavan 2025” award. The young man was initially confused but accepted the recognition, not expecting any further action.

The episode quickly went viral on social media. Meanwhile, Kadakkavoor police have registered a case regarding the shoplifting incident.