Written by Bhoomika Roy Banerjee
A 42-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh who stole bikes from parking areas in Bengaluru has been arrested, and 40 bikes worth Rs 30 lakh were seized from his possession, the Bengaluru police said on Tuesday.
Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said that they were yet to trace the owners of 11 bikes seized from the accused, Ravi Kumar, who also faces cases for sandalwood smuggling in Andhra Pradesh.
According to the police, Ravi Kumar, who was residing at Maruti Nagar in Bengaluru, was notorious for lifting unattended two-wheelers from parking lots, residential colonies, and commercial complexes. “He would travel by the local Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses and get off at bus stops, look for unattended vehicles in parking lots, and would execute his crime,” M L Krishnamurthy, Yelahanka police inspector, said.
The Yelahanka police, who were probing a bike theft case reported on April 6, arrested Ravi Kumar in June based on CCTV footage and other evidence.
“His operation was simple but effective — identify unguarded vehicles, break the locks using basic tools, and ride off before anyone noticed,” Krishnamurthy added.
Ravi Kumar was produced before the court on June 24 and was remanded in police custody for 12 days. During the interrogation, the accused revealed that he had stolen several two-wheelers, sold 11 of them, and kept the remaining 27 vehicles at different places in Andhra Pradesh, readying them for sale.
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Krishnamurthy said that Ravi Kumar, a native of Kadiri, had no close criminal network and committed the thefts alone. He spent most of his earnings on clothes, travel, gadgets, etc, the officer added.
Ravi Kumar has a wife, son, and daughter in his home state and used to earn his livelihood doing odd jobs, the police said.
Bhoomika Roy Banerjee is an intern with The Indian Express.