CHENNAI: The desire to lead a luxurious life has landed six college students in jail. The student’s gang stole 16 bikes parked unlocked in and around Virugambakkam. They dismantled them and sold its parts in the retail auto market.
The students used the money for booze in expensive hotels. The three main accused, Sathyaraj (18) of Nesapakkam, P Sridhar (21) and Santhagopal (20) of Hosur, would roam around in a bike and spot unlocked bikes parked around Virugambakkam. If nobody was seen around, they would toe the bike to their house in K K Nagar, said M S Muthuasami, DCP, T. Nagar.
They stole 22 bikes in the last three months. They dismantled 16 two-wheelers and sold the parts in retail auto markets, he said. The remaining three accused, N Rajesh (18), an arts college student, and Visvalingam (19) and S Siva Subramani (18), both engineering college students from the city, helped the other three to sell the vehicle parts.
Police said the reason for their involvement was lack of guidance from their families.
M Sathiyaraj’s parents were divorced and remarried. But, both reportedly failed to take care of Sathiyaraj, said Muthuasami.
Sridhar lost his father when he was young.
His mother, who was busy in running the business, did not pay adequate attention to his career. “She rented a room in Chennai for his studies,” said a senior police officer.
Santhagopal, final year student of a leading engineering college in Vellore, had arrears in the first year. He was also cheated of Rs 3 lakh by a person who promised him a job, said the police.
Sridhar and Santhagopal were schoolmates and they came into contact with Sathiyaraj through common friends.
“The gang meet in K K Nagar on a regular basis and carried out the crime,” said the police. The police recovered six bikes and remanded all to judicial custody.