The love vehicles thieves have for motorcycles, especially the new and sporty ones, is an enigma for the city and rural police as incidents of two-wheeler lifting is astoundingly on the increase in the district.
Within the past one-and-a-half year, the district witnessed 131 vehicle thefts, of which 125 were two-wheelers. Most of the thefts were reported from crowded places like railway stations, bus stands, beach sides, and commercial complexes. Incidentally, the city and rural police stations witnessed almost equal number of such theft cases.
As per the District Crime Records Bureau (DCRB) figures, no fewer than any 36 vehicle lifting cases were registered from the Kozhikode rural area alone in 2013. In the city limit, the number was 34.
As per the latest figures of this year from January to May 31, there are no fewer than any 55 two-wheelers theft cases already reported from the district.
Number of theftsIn Kozhikode city, the number of thefts currently stands at 29. The rural areas have so far witnessed 26 such incidents. Police officials say the robbers continue to target two-wheelers, as they can be easily unlocked. Most of the thefts take place in public places, as the owners will be away after leaving the vehicle without ensuring its security, they add.
“In several incidents, we have found the strange trend of robbers using stolen motorbikes for burglary. After the crime, they abandon the vehicle or sell it to scrap dealers,” reveals a senior civil police officer. We have also come across incidents where a gang was arrested for having involvement in a chain of bike-lifting cases, he adds.
Interestingly, the strange stealing trend has hardly annoyed the owners as most of them have claimed insurance benefits. “After receiving the insurance sum and the complainant leaves the case, the responsibility comes on the shoulder of police alone,” says a civil police officer from Vadakara.
