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In a shocking incident that has caused significant embarrassment to the ruling party in Kerala, a CPI (M) councillor was arrested on Saturday for allegedly snatching a gold chain from an elderly woman after trespassing into her house.
The accused has been identified as PP Rajesh, who represented the fourth ward in the Koothuparamba Municipality in Kannur district. The alleged crime occurred recently when the victim, Janaki (77), was alone at her residence in Kaniyarkunnu.
According to police and local sources, the incident took place on Thursday afternoon. The elderly woman was reportedly working in her kitchen when a man, with his face obscured by a helmet, suddenly barged into the house. He allegedly grabbed the woman from behind, forcibly snatched
the gold chain, and immediately fled the scene on a scooter.
Though neighbours rushed to the victim’s aid upon hearing her screams, the thief managed to escape the spot. The breakthrough in the case came when police launched an investigation and meticulously examined CCTV visuals from the locality. The footage helped investigators trace the vehicle used in the crime, which subsequently led to the identification and arrest of the councillor, PP Rajesh, after a two-day search. Police sources later confirmed that Rajesh confessed to the crime, and the stolen gold chain was recovered from him.
Following the arrest and the gravity of the charges, the CPI (M) district leadership took swift and decisive action. Later on Saturday, the party issued a statement announcing that Rajesh, who was also a member of the Koothuparamba East Local Committee, was expelled from the primary membership of the party. The expulsion was cited as being for actions that had severely tarnished the reputation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Rajesh’s arrest on charges of house trespass and robbery has caused a political uproar, with opposition parties demanding stern action and accountability, while the police proceed with legal formalities to produce him before a court.
