COIMBATORE: The road back home is long, very long — some 200 odd kilometres. This man didn’t want his health or that of his wife to go for a toss by going to their native place by foot. His alternative was much simpler, and less tiresome — stealing a bike. But, the ‘thief’, who was later identified as Prasanth, was kind enough to send the bike back to its owner through parcel service.
The owner of the bike, V Sureshkumar (34) of Pallapalayam, a lathe worker, was ecstatic when he received the ‘surprise’ parcel on Saturday.Speaking to Express, Sureshkumar said that the bike, that was parked outside his workshop, was stolen on the afternoon of May 18. After allegedly getting the cold shoulder from the police, he said that he started a search for his bike himself. “With the help of CCTV footage of the area and nearby places, I came to know that the bike was stolen by Prasanth, a tea master in a bakery in Kannampalayam near Sulur,” he said, adding that though he had gone to the place where Prasanth stays, he along with his wife had left for their native — Mayiladuthurai — by that time.
Since it’s lockdown, Sureshkumar said that he was unable to do anything for the last 12 days. It was at this time that a he received a call from a parcel service, asking him to collect a bike that was to be delivered to his address. Dejection soon paved way for excitement, and he rushed to the parcel service office to see his bike.
‘Grateful to thief for returning my bike’
Upon paying Rs 1,400 as parcel charges, he came back home, riding his bike. “I am feeling happy now. I can understand the situation of the person who stole my bike. I express my gratitude to him for returning the two-wheeler,” Sureshkumar said. After getting his bike back, he went to Sulur police station on Sunday to tell them about the incident. When contacted by TNIE, Inspector of Police Sundarapandian refuted allegations of police turning a blind eye to the complaint. “The man who stole the bike is a known person to Sureshkumar,” he said. Meanwhile, another policeman of Sulur station said, “Normally police at the station would not register complaints of missing vehicles immediately. They will register the complaint only after identifying the thieves and recovering the vehicles,” he added.