A case of fence eating the crop: CCTV shows Kerala cop stealing mangoes from shop, booked

Kottayam: The public sleeps peacefully by resting their faith on the police force to protect their life and property. Be it an accident, theft or even a natural disaster, the common man will hope a cop to show up and do the needful.

But what if the police start to steal from the people that they are sworn to protect? Hard to digest but this was exactly what happened in Kerala's Kottayam district where a policeman returning home after duty hours was caught on camera stealing from a fruit stall.

Mundakkayam-native Shihab, a police officer stationed at Idukki AR camp is at large after CCTV visuals showed him stealing 10 kilograms of mango worth Rs 600 from a shop.

According to news reports, Shihab was returning to his home in Vandanpathal of Mundakkayam in the early hours of Wednesday, when he came across a few baskets full of ripe mangoes in front of a closed shop along the Kanjurappally-Mundakkayam road. The CCTV footage showed, the policeman stopping his scooter near the mangoes and looking around a few times. He was seen donning a raincoat and a helmet. Confirming that he was not being watched, he fills the two-wheeler with mangoes from the baskets before leaving.

However, the man had no idea that a CCTV was installed in the area and that he was being monitored. An investigation based on the registration number of the vehicle used by the accused revealed the name and address of the man. It was then, to the shock of many, it was found that the accused worked for the police department, multiple Malayalam media reported.

The Kanjirappally police have registered a case against Shihab and have launched a manhunt to nab him.