Kottayam: Thursday was an eventful day for KSRTC driver Biju. His bike was stolen, but he got it back hours later after the thief rammed the two-wheeler onto the bus Biju was driving.
Manjoor native Biju Anees Xavier arrived for his duty at the Kottayam KSRTC depot around 6.30am on Thursday. He parked his bike at the staff parking lot of the depot.
He then went on trips to Thiruvalla and Ernakulam, and returned to the Kottayam depot by afternoon. But he could not find his bike.
He filed a complaint with the Kottayam west police station, and then went on duty on the bus to Ernakulam at 4:15pm. However, when he stopped the bus at Udayamperoor by 6:30pm, a bike rammed the vehicle from behind.
But the bike rider said he had no complaints. However, Biju told the conductor to let the bike rider leave only after he gave that in writing.
However, when the onlookers lifted the two-wheeler, which was lying on the road, Biju was stunned – it was his bike!
Biju showed the people the original key and the RC book. The local people then caught hold of the thief and took him to the police station.
Since the bike is a mainour now, Biju will have to wait a bit longer to get hold of his two-wheeler.
"No one else would have got their stolen bike back like this," Biju said.
Thief had fled from quarantine centre
The police have recorded the arrest of Pathanamthitta native Sajan Thomas, 33, for stealing Biju's bike.
The police also found that Sajan had fled from a quarantine centre in Coimbatore. Another person was also with Sajan at the time of the accident. The police are on the lookout for this person, who escaped soon after the incident.
A history-sheeter, Sajan has been slapped with several cases at various stations. The police have also recovered two mobile phones from him. These were stolen from migrant workers in Thalayolaparambu, while he was on his way to Ernakulam.
Around 50 cases have been slapped against him for stealing bikes and mobile phones at various stations at Alappuzha south, Cherthala, Thiruvalla, Edathua, Muvattupuzha, Thrissur East, Angamaly, Kalady, Vaikom, Changanassery, and Coimbatore.
The accused sold the goods stolen from Kerala in Coimbatore.
Sajan had been in jail for months in a case registered by the Coimbatore police. He was released from the jail during the COVID-19 lockdown. While he was returning to Kerala, he was sent to a quarantine centre near the border. But he escaped.
He had been imprisoned for six years at Viyyur, Poojappura, and Muvattupuzha jails.
The Kottayam west police said that Sajan had committed similar thefts at the KSRTC premises and near the Kottayam railway station.
