Pathanamthitta (Kerala) | Police launched a probe after a granite slab covering a family tomb was found stolen from a church cemetery at Mallappally here on Monday, officials said.

The theft came to light this morning when parish members noticed that the granite slab at the Zion Mar Thoma Church cemetery in Mankuzhipadi had been removed.

The parish authorities later lodged a complaint with the Keezhvaipur police.

Police said the family tomb contained the remains of two persons and was covered with a large granite slab.

Officials said the cemetery is located in a secluded area and neither the premises nor the adjoining roads are covered by CCTV cameras.

The granite slab is quite heavy and could not have been removed by a single person. It appears that a larger vehicle, possibly a pickup truck, would have been used to transport it, a police officer said.

Police said they were examining CCTV footage from nearby roads to identify vehicles that may have passed through the area around the time of the theft.

Officials described the incident as unusual, saying they had not come across a similar case before.

Keezhvaipur police said an FIR would be registered on Tuesday after members of the family, who are currently abroad, return and give their statements.