Rural Police gait it right in Thrissur bank robbery case

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Talk about taking the right step. The Kerala Police, which decided to go for the gait analysis of a bank heist suspect, struck gold after the test confirmed that his walking pattern matched with the perpetrator caught in CCTV visuals. In a criminal probe, gait analysis involves comparing the walking pattern or gait signature of a person, often a suspect, to the one in a surveillance footage. The Thrissur rural district police decided to go for the gait analysis of Rijo Antony of Chalakudy in connection with the robbery of `15 lakh from the Federal Banks Potta branch on February 14. The decision was taken as the suspect, who had worn a jacket, boot, gloves and a helmet during the crime, did not leave behind any other forensic evidence, such as fingerprints. Police sources revealed that the test done at the Central Forensic Laboratory in Hyderabad made the match and a copy of the report was handed over to the cops in the first week of August. The report mentioned that the stride length, step width, foot angle and other parameters of Rijo matched with that of the person caught in the banks cameras, said a source. For the test, the cops made Rijo walk 15 rounds inside the bank. The entire exercise was captured using the same CCTV cameras, which were placed at the same angles as they had been on February 14. Rijo carried out the heist to tide over financial crisis. His wife, who was working abroad, had sent him a large amount of money for expenses and savings, but he spent it all to support his luxurious lifestyle, said sources. He allegedly committed the robbery after learning that his wife was set to return.