Thefts from parked vehicles increase in Aluva

KOCHI: On Saturday, a miscreant broke a window glass of a car parked on a service road near Aluva bypass with a concrete brick and decamped with a bag kept inside the vehicle. The car owner and others had come to an apparel store. Fortunately, there were no valuables in the bag.

According to the police, 11 sovereigns of gold were robbed from a car parked in a parking lot in the same location earlier. “In that incident, instead of breaking the glasses, the thieves opened the door using a blade or something similar and stole the ornaments,” said an officer. 

The culprits apparently hoodwinked the security staff at the complex. The police could also not get the footage of the theft as the CCTV camera was turned to the opposite direction.With the entry of devotees being permitted to places of worship by the government as part of lockdown relaxations, the vehicles parked near temples and churches have become a target of robbers. 

As many as five persons who visited Aluva Mahadeva temple at Manappuram have lost valuables in the recent days. Money was stolen from a car parked near the pilgrim centre on Thursday. Besides, the robbers lifted open the seats of four scooters and escaped with cash and valuables kept in the boot.

Local residents and traders complained that CCTV cameras have not been installed in the Manappuram area and this has become a boon to the thieves and anti-social elements. The police closed down the aid post that had functioned here following the Covid outbreak.

Increasing theft cases in Aluva area have prompted the cops to tighten patrolling and widen CCTV surveillance. Police officers said they have beefed up surveillance activities.“We have decided to open the aid post at Manappuram soon. It was closed after pilgrims were not allowed entry into the temple following the lockdown,” said Aluva DySP P K Sivankutty.