Key Points

The incident took place on the night of May 22 at a local hotel in Chandranagar, a suburb of Palakkad.

The accused, later identified as Shivakumar, a habitual offender from Marthandam, near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in Thiruvananthapuram, entered the hotel after midnight by breaking in through the back door.

Once inside, the man headed straight to the kitchen. CCTV footage revealed that he found eggs, lit the stove, and made himself an omelette. Unsatisfied, he then rummaged through the refrigerator and found a packet of raw beef, which he proceeded to cook and eat leisurely -- spending more than an hour inside the hotel.

After finishing his impromptu feast, the man explored the premises further. He eventually stumbled upon a purse containing Rs 25,000, reportedly left behind by the hotel owner.

Additionally, he also took an offertory box from a nearby temple before slipping away into the night.

The next morning, when the hotel staff opened up, they were puzzled to find the beef packet partially used and the kitchen in disarray. Their suspicions were confirmed when they checked the CCTV footage and saw the intruder calmly cooking and helping himself to the food and money.

A police complaint was filed on May 23, and the CCTV visuals were handed over to the Palakkad police.

The police circulated the suspect's images to stations across neighbouring districts. The breakthrough came on Wednesday, when the accused was identified and apprehended in Thrissur.

The accused will be produced before a judicial magistrate in Palakkad. Police have also initiated procedures to link him to other thefts reported in the region.

- IANS