A man named George Mathew, also known as Ashish, has been sentenced to two years in prison and fined Rs 25,000 for stealing batteries from a solar lighting system in a colony under a panchayat project in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district. The verdict was issued by Ranni Judicial First Class Magistrate Arun Kumar R.C. after the accused, identified as George Mathew, was found guilty in a case filed by the Vechoochira Police. The theft occurred on July 21, 2024, in the Kumbhithodu Scheduled Caste colony under the Vechoochira police station’s jurisdiction.
The stolen batteries, valued at around Rs 10,000, were taken from a solar light post installed as part of the block panchayat’s solar lighting initiative on a panchayat road in the area. The incident was reported by local ward member Satheesh, leading to Vechuchira Police Sub-Inspector Sai Senan filing a First Information Report (FIR) and initiating a preliminary investigation. Subsequently, Police Inspector M.R. Suresh took over the case, conducted a thorough investigation, gathered evidence, and apprehended the accused, George Mathew.
During the trial, Additional Public Prosecutors B. Anilkumar and Soumya Raghu represented the prosecution, presenting their arguments before the court. Following a review of the evidence and deliberations, the court handed down a two-year prison sentence and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the accused, George Mathew.
