Kochi: Central police arrested a 23-year-old man, a former student of Maharaja’s College, for allegedly attempting to steal cots from the college hostel early on Sunday.Arrested person has been identified as Anston Shaji of Mookkannoor, Angamaly. He was arrested on Sunday after being booked under Section 305 (theft) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.As per FIR, night watchman at the hostel saw him try to steal the cots. Eight beds that were in the rooms were loaded onto a mini-truck by the accused around 5.45am.Of the eight cots, five were dismantled before loading. When the watchman asked him about it, the accused claimed that the cots had bed bugs in them and he was taking them so that chemicals could be sprayed on them to get rid of the bugs. However, he could not explain who gave authorisation for the same, police said.Hostel authorities later informed police. Police said the accused booked the mini-truck using a mobile application. He was reportedly planning to take them to Angamaly. Police said that a detailed investigation is on to identify if he received assistance from others at the hostel to attempt the theft.Shaji passed out from the college in 2024. He will be produced before a magistrate.
