Kalaripayattu instructor Vipin Bose felt the night darker than usual. The rain was pouring, and the wind whistled menacingly as he returned to his Punnapra North residence in Kerala’s Alappuzha.
It was about a quarter to midnight when the 26-year-old man left the main road, and took the private lane leading to his house. In the flash of lightning, he saw a stranger, almost naked and gleaming, on the lane.
Bose called out to the stranger, even as his dark silhouette rose against the blackness of the night and remained silent and motionless. Bose kept walking, his steps now extra cautious as he felt the man’s presence suspicious. His breathing found a heavy rhythm and his ears tried to catch any suspicious noise that could easily be muffled by the rain’s patter.
As Bose neared the man, he tried to flee. Muscle memory gained by years of training in the kalari kicked in as Bose lunged forward and caught him. The stranger, however, slipped from his grip. Bose realised that the man had smeared oil on his body to escape from being caught.
Bose was in no mood to let the man flee. He has now become curious. Kalari hand locks did not help in the pitch darkness and the stranger kept slipping out. Realising that he could not escape Bose, the man whipped out a sharp weapon,
The injury was a minor one, Bose knew. He initially dashed after the fleeing man but the thought of his wife alone at home prevented him from chasing further. He returned home.
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Neighbourhood alert
Around the same time, Indu, a resident of Mannachery Komalapuram, was going through a terrifying experience.
Indu was jolted awake as she felt a singe on her neck and was startled to find a stranger in her bedroom.
“I froze in fear,” she said, recalling the moment when she could not even whimper in protest. The man soon disappeared into the darkness, and the woman stood still with a silent scream choking her. By the time her family members woke up and rushed to her aid, Indu realised that she had lost her gold chain.
Soon, news headlines screamed about the presence of Kuruva gangs in Alappuzha and neighbouring Ernakulam.
Bose and Indu are now part of civilian defence groups — Janakeeya Jagratha Samithis — formed to patrol their neighbourhoods, now under the grip of fear.
“We have formed four groups, each comprising 10 members. We remain vigilant from 8 pm till daybreak. We are now more alert, and the police are also patrolling the area. We hope this fear will eventually die away,” Thookkukulam ward member Vinod Kumar told South First.
“Notices have been distributed in homes, and WhatsApp groups have been formed to raise awareness. However, the fear persists, as the news reports about the violent Kuruva gang are still fresh in people’s minds,” he added.
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The Kuruvas
Kuruva is a scheduled tribe community in Tamil Nadu. The members of the community carry a weapon, Kuruva, and are often associated with thefts.
A retired officer from the Kerala Intelligence Wing told South First on the condition of anonymity that the Tamil Nadu Intelligence has named the gang of armed robbers the ‘Kuruva gang,’ which means ‘a gang of thieves with weapons.’
They originated from the Ramji Nagar area near Trichy and lived in villages notoriously known as thiruttu gramam (village of thieves).
However, the members of the Kuruva gang now in Kerala are not from the same village. There are many such thiruttu gramams in Tamil Nadu, according to the police.
Modus operandi
Former Superintendent of Police George Joseph explained the modus operandi of the Kuruva gang, highlighting their calculated and unique approach.
The gang typically operates after midnight, conducting recces to familiarise themselves with the area, including all shortcuts. They avoid large houses and opt for moderate ones to strike. If confronted during break-ins, they do not hesitate to attack and even kill.
Their faces are always covered, and they carry weapons. They usually enter homes through backdoors and select their targets after weeks of observation. To evade tracking, they refrain from using mobile phones in the vicinity and avoid staying nearby. Instead, they pitch tents 30 to 40 kilometers away.
The Kuruva gang often uses deft methods. One frequent tactic is leaving the outdoor water tap running, which would make the resident open the door. Another method is mimicking the sounds of children or women.
Additionally, they may repeatedly ring the doorbell. When the residents open the door to investigate, they either slip in undetected or intimidate them with weapons to carry out their act.
Although uneducated, they are well-versed in legal proceedings and know how to secure bail. The gang was also active in Kerala during 2021-22.
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Anti-Kuruva squad
The Kerala Police formed an anti-Kuruva squad following widespread public panic caused by repeated robberies and media reports. The team that had investigated the Kattor Subhadra murder case was slightly reshuffled and designated as the anti-Kuruva squad.
The investigation is led by Alappuzha District Police Superintendent MP Mohanachandran, with the support of DSP MR Madhu Babu, Mannancherry SHO Tolson P Joseph, Principal SI KR Biju, and SIs TD Nevin, Mohankumar, Sudheer, Sajikumar, U Ullas, KS Shaiju, Vipindas, R Shyam, R Shyamkumar, Manu Prathap, and Siddique.
Alappuzha DSP Madhu Babu informed South First that a key member of the notorious Kuruva gang, Santhosh Selvam, has been arrested in Kundannoor, Ernakulam. Santhosh, a native of Trichy, was involved in a robbery in Mannanchery, Alappuzha.
During interrogation, Santhosh revealed that a 14-member gang had reached Kerala, with its members scattered across various parts of the state. He also disclosed that he was facing more than 30 criminal cases in Tamil Nadu.
Under cover of pilgrims
The gang becomes particularly active during the Sabarimala pilgrimage season, taking advantage of reduced police checks on pilgrims. They strategically set up bases near railway stations to ensure easy escape routes.
Santhosh’s arrest was facilitated by internal conflicts and communication gaps within the gang. A search of their tents in Kundannoor uncovered gold articles, though further investigation is needed to determine if the gang sold or pawned any stolen items.
Most Kuruva gang members hail from Kamatchipuram in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district. This area is predominantly inhabited by the Kuruva community, many of whom are involved in criminal activities.
Despite their criminal background, members of the Kuruva gang often live with their families and engage in legitimate jobs like boating and fishing. They adopt a nomadic lifestyle, rarely staying in one location for extended periods so that they could not be easily tracked.
Disturbing trend
Crime data in Kerala revealed an alarming trend, with a significant rise in the involvement of out-of-state criminals in thefts. According to the Crime Records Bureau, approximately 40% of reported thefts each year now involve individuals from other states.
The activity of interstate criminals has surged since 2021, when 192 thefts were committed by non-Keralite offenders. This number increased to 360 in 2022 and reached 519 in 2023. By September 2024, there had been 307 thefts linked to out-of-state perpetrators.
Despite the rising crime rate, the police have managed to arrest a high number of suspects. In 2021, 182 out of 192 suspects were apprehended, and in 2022, 350 out of 360 were caught.
The success continued in 2023 with 499 arrests out of 519 thefts, and by September 2024, 294 out of 307 suspects had been arrested.
However, the recovery of stolen property remained a major concern. Of the 1,380 thefts reported over the past four years, stolen goods were recovered in only 980 cases.
Caste and crime
Aneesh Jasy ST, an activist from Tamil Nadu, said police officers inquire about the offender’s caste.
”I don’t know much about the Kuruva gang, In many police stations across Tamil Nadu, officers routinely inquire about a person’s caste. This information is often used to make assumptions about the individual’s involvement in crimes or their background. This practice underscores the deep influence caste continues to have in society today,” he said.
In India, there are villages where theft is not just a crime but a way of life. Former Superintendent of Police George Joseph said stealing is a family tradition passed down through generations in those communities. Such communities in states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and West Bengal, see theft as a means of survival, not a wrongdoing.
Joseph highlighted gangs from regions like Trichy and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, which are known for their involvement in thefts. He also mentioned a gang from Haryana that has evolved with technology, focusing on ATM thefts.
One such gang was involved in an ATM robbery in Thrissur, Kerala, and a member was killed in an encounter with the Tamil Nadu police.
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In villages near Madurai, theft is seen as “clan work,” with little access to education or alternative livelihoods. These villagers view stealing as a natural way to make a living.
But the story doesn’t end in the southern states. Joseph pointed to the regions along the West Bengal border, particularly Murshidabad, where villages are similarly entrenched in a culture of robbery. These communities, often isolated and economically disenfranchised, know little else but theft.
The children born in these villages are trained from an early age to follow in their parents’ criminal footsteps, with little to no exposure to other career paths or aspirations. For them, a life of crime is normalised, and ingrained in their identity as much as their family name.
The former officer also underlines a critical point about the socio-economic factors that contribute to crime in rural India. He drew a stark contrast between the way theft is perceived in these communities versus urban areas.
In cities, where education and opportunities shape people’s lives, crime is often seen as a deviation. In these rural pockets, however, theft is a survival tactic—a product of circumstance rather than choice.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
