KOCHI: A group of local residents led by the ward councillor, who were conducting night patrolling in the wake of the attempted break-ins at Nettoor and nearby areas, caught a suspected thief in the early hours on Thursday.The man, who in his thirties and suffers from speech impairment, was caught from near the Nettoor Church and handed over to the Panangad police.
“He was spotted by the squad formed by residents’ associations while attempting to break open the donation box. He fled seeing the squad members but was eventually caught hiding behind a nearby bush. Weapons, including iron rods, were recovered from him,” police officers said. The Panangad police registered a case against the man under IPC Sections 379 and 511. “We are yet to get his details as he is unable to speak. However, there are cases against him at the Kadavantra police station,” they said.