In a breach of trust, the Thrikkakara police in Kochi have arrested a 33-year-old security guard for allegedly stealing Rs 40,000 from a government-run working women's hostel. The incident took place at the PWD Working Women's Hostel located in the NGO Quarters area of Kakkanad.
The Onam Holiday Heist
The theft was executed while the hostel was shut for the Onam holidays, leaving the premises mostly empty. What initially baffled investigators was the absence of any forced entry. The hostel is secured with a fingerprint access system, and there were no visible signs of a break-in, suggesting the perpetrator had authorized access.
Digital Trail Leads to Breakthrough
The investigation, led by Sub-Inspector Anas V B under the supervision of Inspector Sudheer A K and guided by Assistant Commissioner Vijayan T B, took a decisive turn when police examined the digital log from the hostel's security system. The data revealed a clear sequence of events.
On the morning of September 4, an access card was reported missing. The logs showed that at 9:18 am, a person authorized with fingerprint number 618 entered the hostel and exited using an access card. Later, at 11:59 pm on September 5, someone entered using the same access card and exited just 15 minutes later, at 12:14 am on September 6, after committing the theft.
This confirmed the thief was the individual associated with fingerprint number 618. However, with around 200 residents in the hostel, identifying the specific person was a challenge.
Location Tracking and Confession
Police then focused on Prashant Manger, a native of West Bengal who had worked as a security guard at the hostel but had left for his hometown. A critical clue emerged from mobile phone location analysis, which placed Manger near the hostel at the exact time of the crime.
On December 29, after learning he had returned to Kerala, police summoned him for questioning. Manger initially denied any involvement. However, when he was taken to the hostel and his fingerprint was tested on the machine, it matched the log. Faced with this irrefutable evidence, he confessed to the theft.
Prashant Manger admitted to stealing the Rs 40,000 and stated he had spent all the money. Following his confession, he was formally arrested, presented before a court, and remanded to judicial custody.
This case highlights how modern security systems, while designed to protect, can also provide a digital trail that ultimately leads to the culprit, even in the absence of traditional evidence.
