CHENNAI:CCTV footage helped the city police nab two persons, who stole bicycles near schools and tuition centres in Ashok Nagar, on Wednesday.
Police arrested Senthil (39), a resident of Ennore, and his friend Akbar (35) from Manali, based on a complaint filed by S Rajan (40), a resident of Ashok Nagar.
According to police, Rajan had filed a complaint alleging that his daughter’s cycle that was parked near her school in Ashok Nagar was stolen. Police collected CCTV footage from the area. It showed two men coming by an autorickshaw and parking the vehicle in front of the cycle. Later, while the driver pretended to talk on the phone, the cycle was moved near the autorickshaw. After a few minutes, another man from inside the vehicle got down, took the cycle away, while the auto driver followed him.
During interrogation it surfaced that the men targeted new cycles parked in apartments, tuition centres and schools. “They later sold it for `2,000-`5,000, claiming they worked in a cycle company and the slightly defective pieces were sold at a cheaper price,” said G Hari Kumar, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ashok Nagar.
He added that police were able to trace the autorickshaw number and nab the suspects with the help of the CCTV footage. “In the last six months, we have recovered around `25 lakh worth property, including two-wheelers, cars and mobile phones, that were stolen. We have advised residents in the locality to install CCTV cameras to strengthen the vigilance,” he added.
The two bicycle thieves were arrested and remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday.