KOCHI: When 54-year-old Dileep Kumar stepped out of the clustered jails of Kerala, where he had spent half his life, he was disillusioned. He had no hope but to believe strongly in his new found faith- his belief that the goodness that he discovered within himself while he was in jail, would give him the strength to survive in society.In the early years, Dileep Kumar was notified by the Kerala Police as one of the most wanted and notorious robbers who was involved in looting several temples in Kerala. Tutored under the likes of Tarzan Ramachandran and Kayamkulam Sohan, he was one who believed firmly that God doesn’t need gold in temples and the only right thing to do was to loot it “I was of an opinion that temples and churches don’t have any right to hoard gold. People like us can make use of it.”Born into a family of government employees, Dileep left home when his father beat him publicly when he rebelled against society by throwing a stone at a statue of Sree Narayana Guru, at his home town Haripad. “I was in eight standard at that time and I vowed I won’t stay at home anymore, but instead wander around the streets causing disruption.” Ranging from temples from Vaikom to the little village towns in Palakkad and Kalappatty, Dileep Kumar utilised his energy and time stealing and looting from various temples in Kerala. “After we looted, we would give the gold to agents, who would sell it in Tamil Nadu. But the ivory was exported to other countries.” The gang, spread across different regions in the state, looted fearlessly from various temples, till the day, the then Home Ministry,under K Karunakaran brought in the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Act. Luck got the better of Dileep finally and he was caught and taken into cutody post the the case involving the Cherthala Temple, in 1977. “I was booked one by one for all the crimes I had committed and then sentenced to 22 years of jail. That is when I realised that my life was not at all secure.” Living in jail, Dileep got to see some of the most notorious criminals in the country and the state. It was when he interacted with them that he realised that a better life could be led. He decided to read more and learn the goodness that lay within him. He read books ranging from Gandhiji’s ‘My Experiments with Truth’ to those by foreign authors. He started to look upon stealing as one of the worst crimes.“Depression and loneliness made me change. Staying in jail for 22-years was not easy at all. I came out of jail filled with anger and hurt against the society and the police officials who hurt me. I wanted to change, but I felt they weren’t giving me the chance.” “I live as a happy man, but there are a few dreams I need to fulfill. I love writing poetry and I want to help people who come out of jails. Someone needs to come forward and help them rebuild their lives and once again be able to face soceity. We must make it possible for them to change. If we don’t, they will turn out much worser. Not many might have the courage to change like I did,” says the coconut seller from MG street.
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