The police arrested a woman for allegedly breaking open a temple donation box and stealing cash from it at Puzhakkalthara, near Kollengode, in Palakkad, Kerala.The accused, Prabhavati, 42, of Cheruvil House, Kanimangalam, was arrested after an investigation based on surveillance camera footage from the temple premises and nearby areas.Prabhavati had contested the 2020 local body elections from Ward 17 of the Nenmara grama panchayat on a BJP ticket. BJP leaders said she had been expelled from the party.According to the police, the theft took place on Friday night at the Puzhakkalthara Mariamman Temple. She allegedly broke open the lock of the donation box in front of the temple and stole around ₹10,000.The theft came to light on Saturday morning when temple office-bearers and the priest arrived for the day’s rituals and found the donation box broken open.The police examined CCTV footage, which reportedly showed a woman breaking open the donation box during the night. Based on the footage, the police identified Prabhavati and took her into custody from her house.The police said she was an accused in an earlier cheating case involving the alleged use of imitation gold ornaments to defraud several people of lakhs of rupees.Prabhavati was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody. Published - June 03, 2026 08:45 pm IST