Mumbai: Man steals bike to pay for outing with girlfriend, arrested

The Ghatkopar police have arrested a 24-year-old Govandi-based man for allegedly stealing a motorcycle that was parked outside the Vidyavihar railway station, which he sold to a relative in Ahmednagar for ₹5,000. Ram Kota apparently wanted quick money so that he could take his girlfriend for a weekend outing, said the police. A complaint was lodged in the matter last week.

50 CCTV footages scanned

Quoting the motorcycle owner, the police said that he had parked his vehicle as usual at a pay-and-park facility outside the railway station. The vehicle was missing when he returned in the evening. During the probe, the cops scanned footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras but they didn't find any clue. “Then we started looking at footage of the days before the crime occurred. We found a man, constantly roaming in the vicinity, casually sipping tea and buying water bottles. He was seen entering the parking area back and forth. We asked around and came to know that he works at a nearby mall (in Ghatkopar) as a cleaner,” said the official from the investigating team.

Accused spotted riding stolen bike

The police later found out about his basic whereabouts from his employer, including his contact number and location – which was in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi. Subsequently, the cops checked CCTV footage from Vidyavihar to Govandi and found Kota riding the stolen bike.

Through technical investigation, a team of four police officers started tracking his number which reflected in the MIDC area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Another team was then deployed to the spot for a search operation. Kota was nabbed by the police and when asked about the bike, he said that he sold the vehicle to one of his relatives in Nevasa taluka, Ahmednagar.

Habitual offender, drug addict

While Kota was brought to the Ghatkopar police station for interrogation, other officials went to Nevasa to check on the vehicle. Confessing to the crime, Kota revealed that he wanted money instantly so that he could take his girlfriend on an outing. He is apparently a drug addict, which might also be the reason behind the crime, said the police. During the investigation, it also came to light that Kota has a criminal record for housebreaking and robbery.

On Friday, Kota's mother had come to the Ghatkopar police station after hearing about her son's arrest. While talking to The FPJ, she said, “I had no idea about all the things he did, but now I'm not sure what is to be done now. With my ₹7,000 monthly salary, how will I manage to pay for bail or to the advocate?” The woman works as a ragpicker in the Worli area.