A former student of Maharaja’s College has been arrested for allegedly attempting to steal cots from the college hostel in Kochi, police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as 23-year-old Anston Shaji from Mookkannoor in Angamaly, was arrested by Central Police and booked under Section 305 (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
According to the FIR, the hostel’s night watchman spotted Shaji allegedly loading hostel cots onto a mini-truck at around 5:45 am. Eight cots had been removed from the rooms, and five of them had already been dismantled before being loaded into the vehicle.
When questioned, the accused allegedly claimed that the cots were infested with bed bugs and that he was taking them away to have them chemically treated. However, he was unable to explain who had authorised the removal of the furniture, police said.
Hostel authorities subsequently informed the police, who launched an investigation. Officers said the accused had booked the mini-truck through a mobile application and was allegedly planning to transport the cots to Angamaly.
Police are also investigating whether Shaji received assistance from anyone at the hostel in carrying out the alleged theft.
Shaji graduated from Maharaja’s College in 2024 and is expected to be produced before a magistrate.
