Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Theft: gang of juveniles held

Thiruvananthapuram: The police have arrested a seven-member gang of Class X students suspected to be responsible for the widespread theft of bronze lamps from small temples in the city.

M. Radhakrishnan Nair, Circle Inspector, Peroorkada, said nearly 150 lamps were recovered from the suspects. The loot also included a large number of brass taps stolen from houses in Vattiyoorkavu and Peroorkada areas.

The police arrested 18-year-old metal dealer Rama Jayam of Nettayam on the charge of buying the stolen property from the suspects.

Mr. Nair said the students sneaked out of their houses at night to carry out the thefts. They mostly targeted unguarded temples and houses without watchdogs. The loot was often hidden beneath culverts in the area and delivered to Rama Jayam in the morning.

The suspects, all government school students, rarely attended classes. The gang had been active for the past two years.

The police got wind of their activities on the basis of information that one of the students had been seen at night in the vicinity of a burgled temple.

Mr. Nair said some of the students were academically brilliant. Most of them were addicted to liquor, ganja and tobacco. The suspects hailed from lower middle-class homes of skilled workers and government employees. The parents were totally unaware of the activities of their wards and were shocked to learn of their arrests. The suspects were produced before the juvenile court and later sent to the juvenile home. The police said some of the youngsters involved in the crime had voyeuristic tendencies and peeped into houses at night, causing alarm.

The Pettah police arrested Laljith of Malayinkeezh, allegedly wanted in a number of criminal cases, including murder and theft, from Malayinkeezh on Sunday.

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