CHENNAI: Love for alcohol turned a young man into a thief who stole a police constable's two-wheeler in Chromepet and sold it for Rs 5,000 in under an hour. The man, who was arrested on Sunday with the help of CCTV footage, explained to the police that he was not a thief but simply took advantage of a situation where the key was left in a parked scooter.
Jemimah (29), a constable attached to the Kundrathur law and order wing, was part of a VIP security detail and had parked her two-wheeler on the premises of Chromepet GH for her duty. She found her bike missing after duty and filed a complaint with the Chromepet police.
Reviewing CCTV footage, the police found a man walking to the scooter and nonchalantly riding away. The man, identified as Prashanth, was traced to his residence in Lakshmipuram and was arrested, and the stolen bike was recovered.
He told the police that he had sold the scooter within an hour for Rs 5,000 to buy alcohol and had no criminal history until then. The accused was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.