Woman arrested for attempting to steal gold chain at Kottiyoor festival

Police on Tuesday arrested a woman in connection with the attempted theft of a gold chain amid a massive rush of devotees at the annual Kottiyoor festival. The accused, identified as Jyothi, a native of Thathamangalam in Palakkad district, was taken into custody by the Kelakam police after she was allegedly caught red-handed trying to snatch a gold chain from a devotee.

The incident took place in the temple premises during the peak period of influx of pilgrims. Devotees and police personnel on duty noticed a woman trying to pull a chain from the neck of a devotee who was moving around the temple area. She was immediately restrained and handed over to the police.

During the preliminary interrogation, the police gathered more details about the incident and found that Jyothi was involved in several cases of theft in the past. The incident took place amid the peak rush of devotees attending the annual Kottiyoor festival, one of the major religious gatherings in North Kerala.

Published – 16 Jun 2026 17:32 IST