Kochi: In a major security breach, a man rode a luxury bike through a crowded passenger platform, evading guards at Ernakulam Town railway station on Tuesday. He later abandoned the bike and fled after being chased by security personnel.

The bike had been rented from a bike rental service at Thykoodam by Ajmal (36), a native of Mudikkal, Perumbavoor. The Government Railway Police (GRP) believe he was the one who rode it through the platform. A case has been registered.

The incident took place at 4.40 am on platform two, moments after the Pune–Kanyakumari Express had departed and another train was entering the station. The rider entered through a side gate meant for passengers and rode south along the platform, swerving past a security guard as scores of passengers looked on. GRP and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel chased him, but he ditched the BMW G 310R, worth around ₹4 lakh, at the south end of the platform near the Ernakulam North railway overbridge, pulled out the key, and disappeared.

Police traced Ajmal using the ID papers he submitted to EVM Wheels, Thykoodam, from where he hired the bike three days ago at ₹65 an hour for a month. “He is currently absconding, but we have some leads. A manhunt has been launched. The motive remains unclear and will only be known once he is caught. The lapse in security at the station is also under review,” said a GRP source.

Police also suspect he was under the influence of drugs. “While collecting background details, we found he had been into drugs. We think he might have ridden into the platform in an inebriated state but panicked after being chased by the police,” said an official.

Meanwhile, a red bag he carried sparked concerns of possible sabotage. Police, however, said it was unlikely, though they are not ruling it out completely. The case has been registered under sections 281 (rash driving), 329(a) (criminal trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, 2023, and sections 150(a)(e) (maliciously wrecking or attempting to wreck a train) and 153 (endangering the safety of persons travelling on a railway by an unlawful act) of the Railways Act.