Thrissur, Kerala: A railway police awareness class on preventing mobile phone theft at railway stations unexpectedly helped officials catch a suspected thief at Thrissur railway station.

The Thrissur Railway Police had organised the awareness session amid a rise in mobile phone thefts at railway stations. While the class was underway on Platform 2, officers noticed a passenger appearing uneasy and trying to distance himself from the gathering.

The man moved to Platform 1 during the session. When the police followed him there and continued the class, he again moved away, raising their suspicions.

Police stopped and questioned him. The man had no travel documents, and officers found an expensive mobile phone in his possession.

The phone was identified as belonging to Abhijith, a native of Kollam, who had travelled from Sasthamkotta to Bengaluru in the general coach of the Huguely Express on Sunday. Abhijith had complained to police that his phone was stolen while the train was at Palakkad.

The suspect was identified as 25-year-old Sufiyan, hailing from Tirur, Malappuram. Police checked his details using their app and found that he was allegedly an accused in 10 cases, including an attempted murder case.

The railway police said they realised only after checking his records that the man they had detained was allegedly involved in several criminal cases.