Cheruthoni: A man collapsed and died soon after hearing about a theft at his house here in Kerala's Idukki district when he and his family members were away on a trip to the pilgrimage town Pazhani in Tamil Nadu. The culprit who was arrested over the theft case turned out to be his younger brother himself.

Murikkasseri Police arrested Anil Kumar (57) of Manalel House at Rajamudi on Thursday for breaking into the house of Vishwanathan and stealing 75 kilograms of pepper when the latter had gone out of the state along with his family members to visit the Pazhani temple.

Anil Kumar, whose wife is abroad, stays near the house of the deceased, Vishwanathan.

Last Monday night, Vishwanathan, his wife Sheela, sons Arun and Aneesh and daughters-in-law Ramya and Anupriya, left home to go to Pazhani. On reaching Chinnar, along the Tamil Nadu Kerala border, while returning from Pazhani, Vishwanathan got a phone call from his relatives informing him of a break-in at his house. He collapsed immediately after hearing this and died in the car itself. 

The thief had broken the back door of the house before stealing 75 kg pepper which was kept in two plastic sacks. The pepper was later sold by the culprit at a shop in Thopramkudi. The stolen item was later seized by the police.  

After preliminary check the police team concluded that someone who closely knew the family would be behind the theft. Anil Kumar confessed to the crime while the police interrogated him. In his statement to the police he claimed he committed the theft due to a financial crisis.

Murikkasseri Sub-Insector N S Roy, SI  Sabu Thomas, Senior Civil Police Officers Ashraf Kasim, E K Ashraf, and CPO Jayesh Gopi arrested the culprit.