Patna: A Kerala police team in a joint operation with its counterparts in Katihar nabbed an inter-state diamond thief from Katihar district, around 290km northeast of Patna, on Sunday.

The thief, identified as Ashok Bari, was picked up from his house in Barik Chowk under the jurisdiction of Katihar Town police station and subsequently produced in a local court. Bari was allegedly involved in the theft of diamond worth Rs 6 crore and Rs 6 lakh cash from a jewellery shop in Kerala's Thrissur district on January 29 this year.

Katihar superintendent of police Siddharth Mohan Jain said a six-member Kerala team visited Katihar to trace the thief allegedly involved in the burglary in a jewellery shop located in Chalakudy town in January. However, no jewellery was found from the possession of Bari during a raid on his house in Katihar district headquarters town.

The SP clarified that the involvement of the Katihar resident in the theft of jewellery from Edassery Jewellers came to the fore during investigation. "The CCTV footage and forensic experts helped the police ascertain the identity of the accused," Jain said, adding that the arrested thief was taken to Kerala on transit remand.

During interrogation, Bari revealed that they had used a gas cutter to break open the lock of the jewellery shop on the night of January 29. The incident came to the light when the employees reached the shop next morning and subsequently reported the matter to the police. The Kerala police team headed by an inspector-rank officer left for Kerala with Bari on a three-day transit remand.