When a parked scooter trapped ‘Mass’ burglar
In the pursuit of success, many turn to faith, believing that God will guide and support their efforts. But for Stephen, a 38-year-old from Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari, faith was not a source of devotion — it became a tool in the execution of his crimes, and relying on routine and belief patterns, he carried out a series of burglaries.
Finally, he found neither luck nor divine favour on his side, as months of meticulous investigation led the Ayarkunnam police in Kottayam to his arrest.
It was an early Sunday morning (October 19, 2025). The faithful in Kongandoor, Ayarkunnam, were on their way to church for the Mass. In the soft morning mist, devotees hurried along, draped in scarves, carrying Bibles and rosaries. And in the empty neighbourhood, Stephen arrived on a scooter.
After ensuring that most residents had left for church, he moved towards a house near Kallitta Nada School in Kongandoor, one he had already marked. Within minutes, he broke open the kitchen door, entered the house, and stole `28,000 in cash and around 10 sovereigns of gold ornaments worth approximately `9.78 lakh before fleeing the scene.
The crime came to light only when the family returned home and discovered the break-in and missing valuables, prompting them to alert the police. The Ayarkunnam police station reached the spot, and soon the investigation began.
Initially, the police deemed it a routine burglary. But Inspector Jayaprakash V K reported the incident to District Police Chief Shahul Hameed A, following which a special investigation team was constituted. Led by Jayaprakash, the team included Sub-Inspectors Saju T Lukose, Sujith Kumar, Jacob P Joy, ASI Supriya K, SCPO Sharun Raj, Arun Kumar, and CPOs Ranjith and Vimal, with additional support from the district special squad members Joby Joseph and Shyam S Nair.
“As days turned into months, there was a perception that the probe had gone cold or been abandoned. In reality, we were closely tracking every lead that could take us to the accused,” says an officer with the squad.
The team discovered the accused had used a stolen Honda Activa scooter from the limits of the Thiruvalla police station to execute the crime.
Focus was given to analysing CCTV footage from multiple locations and tracking suspicious vehicles seen in public spaces. “Despite extensive efforts, these initial leads did not immediately yield results,” adds the officer.
The team traced the scooter to Changanassery. The accused was moving around before eventually entering the Thiruvalla railway station. During a follow-up inspection, the team located the scooter in the railway station’s parking area. The scooter came under close surveillance since then. The team waited for the accused to return and pick it up.
“The surveillance continued for nearly one and a half months. Finally, at around 5am on Sunday (March 15, 2026), the accused arrived at the parking area to retrieve the scooter and was apprehended by the waiting squad,” says Shyam, who was part of the probe team.
Stephen, a native of Kanyakumari, had worked as a fish vendor in the Chingavanam region for several years, which gave him an intimate knowledge of the area and its byroads. Following his divorce, he had been living in Chennai with another woman, and the couple had two children.
Stephen followed a calculated modus operandi — targeting Christian households on Sunday mornings, when residents would typically leave for church.
After committing the thefts, he would abandon the stolen scooter at parking areas in railway stations and return to Chennai to stay out of sight. The use of railway station parking areas was a deliberate tactic to evade detection.
On subsequent Sundays, he would return in the early hours, retrieve the scooter, scout for unattended houses, carry out burglaries, and leave again.
“He is a habitual offender involved in several theft and criminal cases in Tamil Nadu. In an earlier incident in Chidambaram, he had even attempted to attack police officers with a knife while trying to escape, following which he was shot and apprehended,” says Shyam.
Stephen was later produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody.