Thiruvananthapuram, 24 March (H.S): In an unusual case, a 46-year-old man allegedly committed thefts with the intention of getting arrested and returning to prison to access jail facilities, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, Dilip Khan, a native of Thunduvila in Aavaduthura near Kovalam, was arrested by Kovalam police after carrying out thefts at two establishments in the area. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed that he deliberately committed the crimes so that he could be sent back to jail.

According to police, the accused stated that life inside prison offered him stability, including proper accommodation, clean food, medical care, and wages for work. He also said he preferred working in the prison kitchen and found the structured routine there more comfortable than life outside.

Police officials said Dilip Khan has been involved in over 21 theft cases, both major and minor, across the Vizhinjam and Kovalam regions. His latest thefts targeted small businesses, focusing on cash and mobile phones.

In the first incident, he allegedly stole ₹40,000 from a supermarket on Harbour Road. He also damaged the shop’s DVR system and took away a mobile phone worth about ₹5,000. In another case, he reportedly stole ₹4,000 and a mobile phone worth ₹8,000 from a chicken shop in Kovalam.

The accused was identified with the help of CCTV footage from both locations, which enabled police to track and arrest him.

He was later produced before a local court and remanded in judicial custody. Further investigations are underway to determine his involvement in other pending cases.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman