Daughter’s lavish wedding, house renovation: One single statement traps thief in MT’s household

KOZHIKODE: Police have arrested the culprits involved in a theft at the residence of renowned writer MT Vasudevan Nair. The investigation revealed that Shantha, the family's cook and her relative Prakashan were behind the crime.

The theft, which occurred over a period of four years, came to light when jewelry was found missing from the house on the 22nd of last month. Suspicion soon fell on Shantha, who had worked closely with the family. During questioning, Shantha's responses were inconsistent, raising further doubts about her involvement.

A deeper investigation into Shantha's personal life revealed recent lavish spending, including repairs to her house and her daughter's extravagant wedding in September. When asked about the source of the money and gold used for the wedding, Shantha initially gave evasive answers, stating that the gold was purchased from a jewelry shop on Mittai theruvu, though she failed to provide the shop's name. Her daughter, disclosed the name of the shop.

When the police visited the jewelry store, employees confirmed that Shantha and a man she identified as her husband, Sukumaran, had indeed purchased gold there. Further inquiries revealed that the man was, in fact, Prakashan, a relative who had posed as her husband. Records showed frequent phone contact between Shantha and Prakashan, heightening suspicion.

When the police attempted to arrest Prakashan at his residence in Balussery Vattoli, he tried to flee but was quickly apprehended. Both Shantha, 48 and Prakashan, 44, were arrested yesterday afternoon.

The police believe that Shantha had been stealing jewelry from the writer's home for several years, with Prakashan assisting in selling the stolen goods at various shops across the city. Although the police have visited the shops, they have not yet recovered the stolen jewelry. A report will be submitted to the court today, requesting custody of the accused to trace the missing valuables.