Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, May 9: Alert Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at Mangaluru Central Railway Station successfully cracked a major house theft case by arresting a habitual offender and recovering stolen gold ornaments worth more than Rs 13 lac during a special surveillance operation.

The operation was conducted on May 7 by an RPF team led by Manoj Kumar Yadav, IPF/RPF/MAQ, along with other officials who were maintaining a close watch at the station premises and nearby areas to trace property theft offenders.

During the surveillance near platforms 2 and 3, the officials noticed a man behaving suspiciously. He was detained and subjected to questioning. A detailed search of his shoulder bag led to the recovery of a jewellery pouch containing several gold ornaments.

The accused was identified as Ashif P H (25), a native of Kanhangad in Kasargod district. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed that the ornaments had been stolen from a residence in Thrissur district of Kerala.

Police verification later confirmed that Pavaratti police station in Thrissur had registered a house-breaking and theft case on May 6 regarding the theft of nearly 10 sovereigns of gold ornaments. The recovered jewellery was identified as the stolen property linked to the case.

The seized items included four bangles, three necklaces, four rings, a chain, bracelet and studs with a total weight of 93.5 grams. The total value of the gold ornaments is estimated at around Rs 13.06 lac.

Following the recovery, officials from Pavaratti police station arrived at the Mangaluru RPF post during the early hours of May 8 and took custody of both the accused and the recovered ornaments for further legal proceedings.

Investigations revealed that the accused is allegedly involved in several criminal cases, including theft and house-breaking offences registered at multiple police stations across Kerala. Police sources stated that several non-bailable warrants are also pending against him.