Kasaragod: For nearly six minutes, nothing about the scene at the Trikaripur railway station parking area appeared suspicious.

A young man sat on a parked motorcycle, facing backwards, chatting with another youth seated on a scooter parked beside it. To anyone passing by, it looked like two friends simply catching up.

But whenever the area was clear, the youth sitting on the motorcycle would reach behind him and move the handlebar from side to side, apparently working on the lock. After several such attempts, they managed to unlock the motorcycle. But they were in no hurry. They remained seated on the two-wheelers, chatting until they were sure the area was clear for their next move.

CCTV footage from the station showed how the motorcycle was eventually taken away without raising much suspicion. The youth on the scooter took over from his friend, pulled the motorcycle off its centre stand and began steering it, while the other, who had been sitting on it moments earlier, pushed from behind. The two then simply wheeled the motorcycle out of the parking area, with a practised ease that suggested they knew exactly what they were doing.

The theft took place around 6.20 pm on September 21. Chandera Police have now arrested three youths in connection with the theft of the teacher’s motorcycle, with the CCTV footage providing crucial leads in the investigation.

The arrested are Sharbaz (22) of Thankayam in Trikaripur, Muhammad Sabith (21) and Favas A T (21), both from Punchakkad in Payyannur.

The motorcycle belonged to teacher P V Prashobh of Thalichalam near Elembachi in Trikaripur grama panchayat. Prashobh had parked it at the railway station in the morning before travelling to Kasaragod. When he returned in the evening, he found the motorcycle missing and lodged a complaint with the Chanderra police.

While the police were examining the CCTV footage from the station premises, a resident of Punchakkad in Payyannur municipality alerted Prashobh about the suspects.

Prashobh subsequently passed the information to his brother, who is a police officer, following which police traced and arrested Sharbaz and Muhammad Sabith. Favas was arrested later.

The investigation revealed that the motorcycle did not remain intact for long. According to police, the accused dismantled it and sold the parts to a scrap dealer on the same day.

Police have obtained information about another person suspected to have been involved in the theft and are taking steps to recover the motorcycle parts. They are also checking whether the accused have been involved in similar thefts.

Police said Muhammad Sabith is an accused in an MDMA case registered in Bengaluru. Sharbaz has also been booked in assault cases in Payyanur and Chanderra, police said.