Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Two-wheeler thefts on the rise in capital city

G. Anand

Only 11 out of the 63 vehicles stolen this year traced

Thiruvananthapuram: Theft of two-wheelers from public places has become a widespread crime in the city. The victims of the recurring crime are mostly white-collar employees who commute daily from Thampanoor.

A sizeable section of the commuters park their vehicles in the vicinity of the Railway station to avoid paying the high fees charged by those manning the Railways-owned parking lot. The police said two-wheelers left unattended for long hours were easy picks for motorbike thieves.

A Railway stationmaster's motorbike was stolen from the parking area meant for staff members on April 14. Another commuter reported the loss of his motorbike from Thampanoor the same day. The city police seem unable to check the trend.

In 2006, 148 vehicles were stolen. Out of that, the police could only trace 20. This year, 63 vehicles were stolen out of which 11 were traced. Most were found abandoned several days after the thefts were reported. The police were able to arrest some individual operators, but the more organised groups are still at large and continue to operate with impunity. The majority of the thefts were reported from Thampanoor (around 30 in 2006), Medical College (29) and Museum (29) police station limits. Circle Inspector, Thampanoor, S.M. Sahir said, most of the two-wheelers reported stolen were latest motorbikes. R. Balu, a two-wheeler mechanic, said, the locks of most modern day motorbikes were flimsy and would easily give away if the handle was wrenched powerfully in the opposite direction. Most motorbikes could be started effortlessly without the ignition key. The elusive motorbike thieves are likely to be persons familiar with the mechanical workings of two-wheelers. Balu said one sure, but clumsy, way to secure motorbikes was to use padlocks, like on old model Royal Enfield Bullets. Circle Inspector, Medical College, Suresh said the hospital authorities were asked to allow parking only on designated parking lots. Haphazard parking in unmonitored areas was the main reason for thefts. Some two-wheeler owners had even staged thefts to fraudulently claim insurance after finding it difficult to repay vehicle loans.

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