Kochi: Mohammed Irfan, the self-styled 'Robinhood of Bihar', traveled 2,720 kilometers from Sitamarhi, Bihar, to Kochi, Kerala, targeting what he perceived as the city's most affluent area.
After researching Panampilly Nagar on Google, he broke into filmmaker Joshiy's house on April 20 and made off with over Rs 1.2 crore worth of jewelry.
This was not Irfan's first target in the state; he had previously stolen jewelry and money from Bhima Jewellery MD B Govindan's house in Thiruvananthapuram in April 2021.
The 35-year-old Irfan, son of Mohammad Akthar from Bhopadi, Sitamarhi, has been accused in 19 theft cases across six states. He was apprehended within 15 hours in Udupi thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Kochi City Police and the Karnataka Police. This is not his first arrest -- he was previously detained by Hyderabad police in December 2023 for a similar theft.
Irfan's 'Robinhood' nickname stems from his habit of donating 10-20% of his loot to charitable causes, including constructing roads in villages, sponsoring marriages, and covering medical expenses for the poor. His wife Gulshan is a president of Sitamarhi District Panchayat.
"There are such things said about him online. That does not matter to us. For us, he is a person involved in criminal activities, especially thefts. After being released from the jail, he continues with his thefts. He is a habitual offender," S Syamsundar, Kochi City Police Commissioner said.
The Commissioner credits his team for nabbing Irfan within 15 hours of the theft.
Made three other attempts before...
According to police, Irfan made attempts in three other houses in Panampilly Nagar but he he succeeded in breaking into Joshiy's house.
"He came from Bihar driving his car on April 20. He had looked for posh areas in the city and located Panampilly Nagar. He broke into the house by breaking the kitchen window using a screwdriver. He used the same modus operandi in other places as well. Then he got into the bedroom where the diamond and gold ornaments worth Rs 1.2 crores were kept in an almirah safe. We came to know that the safe was not locked. He also took around Rs 10,000 from the house. It took around two hours for him to decamp with the jewellery and money. Joshiy and his family members were asleep in their bedrooms," Syamsundar said.
Maharashtra-registered car
For police, CCTV cameras turned crucial both in identifying and locating Irfan.
From the CCTV visuals, police found that Irfan came to Panampilly Nagar in a white-coloured Maharashtra-registered Honda Accord car. The car also sported a nameplate proclaiming 'President District Panchayat' in Hindi.
The car was parked at a place in Panampilly Nagar. Police followed the trail of Irfan and found that the car entered Karnataka from Kasargod border at 2.30 pm on April 20.
"Soon we coordinated with Karnataka police. We first contacted Raman Gupta, Additional Commissioner with Karnataka police. He alerted district police heads of Mangalore, Udupi and Karwar districts. His car was located at the national highway by around 3.15 pm. He did not stop the vehicle when the police asked him to pull over. Then, following a chase, the accused was arrested. The stolen jewellery and screwdriver used for the theft are also recovered," Syamsundar said.
After recording the arrest of Irfan, he was brought to Kochi on Monday morning. Later, he was produced at a magistrate court and remanded to judicial custody.
Police will seek the custody of the accused soon.
"His arrest would be recorded in the case related to theft at the house of Bhima Jewellery MD in Thiruvananthapuram. He has to be interrogated in detail when we receive him in custody to unearth more aspects related to theft here. His mobile phone will also be examined to check whether he received any local support for the act," Syamsundar said.
