Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Vehicle thieves thriving in capital city

Thiruvananthapuram:

P. Sreekumar, a dentist, is reportedly the latest victim of motorcycle thieves in the city. On Sunday morning, he parked his 1998 model Hero Honda Splendor motorcycle (KL-01-C-106) in the paid parking area in front of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. He locked the vehicle and bought the parking ticket from the fee collector. He found his motorcycle stolen when he returned from the temple an hour later.

Fort Sub-Inspector Suresh V. Nair said it was the first motorcycle theft reported from the parking yard this year. He said a temple security guard has the Rs.17-lakh annual contract for collecting fees from motorists who park their vehicles in the area. The SI said the parking fee collector told him that the contractor was not responsible for the theft of vehicles from the parking area and it was printed so in the parking fee receipts issued to clients.

The theft of vehicles, chiefly two-wheelers, has become a recurring crime in the city. As many as 115 vehicles were reported stolen in the city this year till July 31. So far, only 24 of the stolen vehicles have been traced.

Most of the two-wheeler thefts are reported during day time. The victims are mainly commuters, white collar workers, students, hospital visitors and families on leisurely outings to parks, beaches and carnivals. Last year, 217 vehicles were stolen from the city. A significant number of thefts were reported during the Onam shopping season.

The police apparently have achieved little success in curbing the seemingly unstoppable motorcycle thefts. The police checking of vehicles have become routine and at almost predictable timings. A senior official said the police should lure thieves by placing motorbikes as baits in public places. He said video surveillance of parking lots would deter vehicle thieves.

The tendency of two-wheeler owners to park their vehicles in unmonitored areas often helps thieves. Many commuters prefer to park their motorbikes on the roadside (often for long hours) at Thampanoor instead of the more secure railway-owned parking lot nearby.

A mechanic said the locks of most modern day two-wheelers were flimsy and would give away easily if the handle was wrenched powerfully in the opposite direction.

Certain motorbike makers devised only very few key patterns, which were repeated randomly in their products. Hence, a thief who possessed all the key types of a particular make could easily steal one at will.

Thieves often sourced duplicates of motorbike ignition keys from dubious repairmen or bank agents responsible for seizing two-wheelers from owners who default on their mortgage repayments.

The police said one ideal way to protect a motorbike was to use a chain lock to secure its wheels. Stolen motorcycles are often used for criminal purposes, including spirit smuggling and chain snatching. Latest bikes are stripped for their parts.

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