Man turns serial vehicle thief to feed pub addiction

A 27-year-old man was so addicted to going to pubs that he became a serial vehicle thief and stole 14 two-wheelers, police said.

Chandra Layout police said Shiva Kumar, a native of Srirangapatna, stole two-wheelers from temples and parking lots by breaking their locks.

He later sold them and spent the money by visiting pubs on MG Road and Brigade Road.

Police inspector Manoj Hoovale zeroed in on Kumar while investigating the theft of a scooter near Kailaseshwara Temple in Suvarna Layout, Nagarabhavi, in the early hours on March 31.

The scooter’s owner, Vijay, 22, was away at work — washing cars — when the theft occurred. When he returned, the scooter was stolen.

Kumar, who is a JCB driver, was obsessed with hanging out at pubs, but his earnings weren’t adequate.

Getting into the game

Drawing inspiration from some of his friends who had become vehicle thieves, he decided to get into the game.

He sold each vehicle for Rs 8,000 to Rs 20,000 in Mandya. He told the buyers that the vehicle belongs to a friend in Bengaluru and promised to hand over the documents later. Every time he sold a vehicle, it was followed by a visit to a pub in the city.

A senior officer said Kumar confessed to stealing 14 two-wheelers.

Kumar, who has been arrested for the first time, has stolen vehicles in the city in Rajagopalanagar, Chandra Layout, Vijayanagar and Jayanagar. The rest were lifted from Kunigal, Magadi and other outstation spots.

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