Bhubaneswar: In an unexpected turn of events, a youth from Bhubaneswar managed to recover his stolen two-wheeler within an hour — thanks to a traffic challan issued by the Odisha Motor Vehicles Department.
The Commissionerate Police swiftly arrested the accused and recovered the vehicle. The stolen bike was formally handed back to its owner today after the completion of legal procedures at Lingaraj Police Station.
The incident took place on April 15, when the youth had gone to play cricket at the Mullapadia playground in the Old Town area, under the Lingaraj Police Station limits. He had parked his two-wheeler near the playground at around 12:10 PM, but upon returning an hour later, he discovered it had been stolen.
Despite checking nearby CCTV footage and searching the area, no trace of the vehicle or the thief was found. The youth then filed a complaint at the Lingaraj Police Station with assistance from his family.
However, in a fortunate twist, the breakthrough came when the youth received a message on his phone from the Odisha Motor Vehicles Department, notifying him of a traffic challan issued for riding without a helmet. Attached to the challan was a photo clearly showing the offender riding the stolen vehicle.
The youth immediately shared the message and image with police. Acting on the lead, police tracked the vehicle to Athagarh, arrested the accused, and recovered the stolen bike.
