Image for representational purpose only. (Express Illustrations)
BENGALURU: IT professional Pradeep Manthana (41), a cycling enthusiast who came all the way from Hyderabad to cycle on the Nandi Hills road for the first time, lost his brand new bicycle to some nifty thieves. He had come with his son and other family members, and brought along his Trek Domane SL5 sports bicycle worth Rs 2.71 lakh. The cycle was securely mounted on the car cycle rack, but all Manthana is left with now are unpleasant memories.
Speaking to TNIE from Hyderabad, Manthana said he and his son had cycled on Nandi Hills road last week. “We loved the place, so we decided to cycle again during the weekend. When we were going towards the hills in the car, we saw a cycle race going on. I parked the car near Hot Pot Hotel at Rani Circle in Devanahalli, leaving the cycle in the rack.
The bicycle was properly locked and tied to the rack. After watching the race, my son and I returned to the car in a span of five minutes and the cycle was gone,” he said. Unaware of the local police station, he surfed the net for details and reached the jurisdictional Devanahalli police station to file a complaint. “The theft happened between 9.45am and 9.50am last Saturday, though the complaint was filed later,” said Manthana, who has been cycling for the past four years to stay healthy.
“We are not ruling out the possibility of some locals behind the theft. We are checking CCTV footage in the vicinity. He has provided documents to claim ownership of the bicycle. The accused have not only broken the locks but also cut the rope in the rack to steal the cycle,” said an officer who is part of the investigation. Devanahalli police registered a case of theft under Section 379 of IPC.
