This science graduate stole bikes for fun

Pune: Others steal vehicles to make money by selling them after changing the number plate, but the police say Kishor Bhimrao Khadke, a BSc graduate from Amravati, does it for the fun of biking.

The police said Khadke stole three two-wheelers in the past 30 days to go on long rides. The Vishrambaug police booked Khadke under Section 379 (stealing) of the IPC and recovered the three vehicles from his possession.

The arrest of Khadke was made by traffic policeman, Constable SB Kumbhar, on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road.

Kumbhar spotted Khadke violating a traffic signal at Alka Talkies chowk and signalled for him to stop. Khadke ignored Kumbhar and sped away on his vehicle, which made the traffic policeman chase him on his bike.

After a pursuit of about a kilometre, Kumbhar caught up with Khadke and got hold of him. Khadke was on a bike with a number plate that read MH-12/AT 8701.

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Khadke was not able to show Kumbhar his driving licence and vehicle papers, which made the policeman suspicious. Khadke eventually admitted that the bike was stolen.

"I left him with no choice but to confess to the crime," said Kumbhar. Khadke said he had stolen the bike from Kothrud three days ago and was using it to have fun riding on it. He said his father was a farmer in Amaravati and that he was living with a cousin at Parande Nagar in Dighi.

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Kumbhar searched the computerised RTO registration for the number plate of the stolen bike and found out that the vehicle belonged to Santosh Mahadik, a resident of Karve Nagar.

The policeman said he also discovered that Khadke was involved in two more cases of vehicle theft at Sadashiv Peth and Somwar Peth.

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Kumbhar said Khadke's cousin was sick of his brother's habit of stealing vehicles. He said Khadke had now been taken away by his family members to Amravati to stop him from stealing more bikes.

Mahadik, whose bike was stolen from near Karve statue, said that he has not yet received the vehicle but that the police had assured him that he would get it back after finishing up with the formalities. He also thanked Kumbhar for catching the suspect.

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DCP Manoj Patil (Traffic) congratulated Kumbhar for his bravery. "This shows even traffic policemen can detect a crime, and Kumbhar has set an example for all," Patil said.