VELLARADA: A mobile phone of a youth, who died in a bike accident, was stolen from an ambulance. The phone of Sudheesh of Sreenilayam in Vellarada, who died in a lorry-bike collision on August 17 near Arattukuzhi, was stolen. The police recovered the phone following an investigation conducted on the complaint lodged by his relatives. The phone was recovered from the mobile shop where it was sold.

The phone was recovered from the mobile shop in Puliyoorsala. The shopkeeper told police that the phone was sold by two youths whom he knew. One of the youths was caught by the locals the other day and handed over to the police.

Sudheesh and Ananthu of Lavanya Bhavan had died in the accident. Both were taken to the hospital in two ambulances from the accident spot. The relatives of Sudheesh alleged that the theft was committed by a youth who entered the vehicle as a helper in the ambulance carrying him. The relatives lodged a complaint with the Vellarada police after the phone was not returned.

A sub inspector had faced action in the theft case of the mobile phone of a youth, who had committed suicide in 2021. The action was taken against Jyothi Sudhakar, the sub inspector of Kollam Chathannoor Police Station. He was suspended when he was found to have stolen the dead’s phone. He died after being hit by a train while he was SI at Thiruvananthapuram Mangalapuram station. A youth from Perumathura was found dead after being hit by a train near Kaniyapuram railway station. The police concluded that it was a suicide.

A team led by Jyothi Sudhakar completed the proceedings including the inquest. Meanwhile, the phone was stolen. The incident came to light when the family came forward alleging that the youth's phone was missing and that there was a mystery in his death. Subsequently, during an investigation conducted by the cyber cell, it was found that the missing mobile phone was being used by the sub inspector.