Thief rides off with scooter after asking for lift

A serial vehicle thief stole a scooter after hitching a lift citing an emergency last week, police said. The suspect was apprehended on Friday.

Prashanth, a resident of Koramangala, was riding a Honda Dio (registration number KA 01/JD 5083) to deliver printing materials from Halasuru to Wilson Garden on Wednesday. Around 11.30 am, as he reached Rajendra Nagar, a pedestrian asked him for a lift to the Viveknagar church, saying he was in an emergency.

Prashanth obliged him. But on the way, the hitchhiker pulled out a knife and asked Prashanth to let him ride the scooter, saying he wants to show his riding skills to his elder brother. A frightened Prashanth gave him the scooter keys. The hitchhiker rode up till Pothalappa Garden in Adugodi and pulled in at a tea stall, saying they would have tea before proceeding.

The moment Prashanth got off and turned towards the tea stall, Nayeem rode off. Prashanth immediately called the police control room and reported the matter.

Adugodi police tracked down the vehicle thief after reviewing the CCTV footage. They identified him as Nayeem, 23, a resident of Gurappanapalya. Police described him as a habitual offender but said this appeared to be his first scooter robbery.

Prashanth told DH: “I had kept printing job works, a mobile phone, Rs 3,500 in cash and earphones in the scooter storage box. Police have returned my earphones and the printing materials.”

An investigating officer said they were questioning Nayeem if he committed more crimes.