A lost thumb, stolen gold, missing buffaloes: Ernakulam's theft spike rattles residents

Something is unsettling Ernakulam. Over the past few months, at least 10 theft cases — each different in style and scale — have been reported from across the district, grabbing public attention and raising uncomfortable questions about safety. The latest incident turned violent, leaving a 62-year-old man permanently injured.

A violent turn at Pathalam

The most disturbing case unfolded on Thursday (September 3, 2026) night at Pathalam in Eloor. Saleem K.A. (62) was severely injured by an unidentified man who allegedly tried to snatch the gold chain of his daughter-in-law. In the struggle, Saleem lost his right thumb. The police are yet to nab the accused — a detail that has only deepened local anxiety.

Arrests across the district

Earlier this month, the Railway Police arrested three men from Assam in connection with alleged robberies reported from Aluva and Angamaly railway stations on August 28 and 30. The police recovered ₹40,000 in cash, four mobile phones and six sovereigns of gold from their possession.

The arrests stretch back through the monsoon. In July, the Hill Palace police nabbed Jijo Babu, a 39-year-old native of Malayattoor, for allegedly stealing a woman's mobile phone. According to the police, he was a serial offender whose modus operandi involved targeting women boarding crowded buses. A month earlier, in June, the Kuruppampady police arrested another serial offender — Kollam native Babu A. — following the alleged theft of ₹15,000, a mobile phone and a tablet from a shop at Pulluvazhi.

And it isn't just cash and gold vanishing. At least three buffaloes were reported stolen from the Paravur region in August, adding a rural twist to the district's crime worries.

Police urge calm

The police, meanwhile, said theft cases were being reported only occasionally and most of them were minor incidents.

"Stealing of electric items including copper wires and wiring fittings from construction sites are among the cases reported recently. The police have been conducting intense patrolling in vulnerable areas and monitoring usual suspects. Of late, the presence of shadow police have also been increased in vulnerable areas," a senior city police officer said.

Whether that reassurance lands is another matter. For residents who watched a neighbour lose a thumb defending his family, official calm may ring a little hollow — at least until the Pathalam attacker is caught.

How the cases stacked up