My Bike is Stolen

My new bike purchased on 7th June 2006, hardly 4 months old / Apache (Red) has beeen stolen from my house compound. It has run only 2500 kms and just finished the second service.

Sequence of events: I left my motorbike within the compound wall of our apartments near the doctors house (Ground Floor) at 7:15pm on 10/10/2006. After that I had gone to my house on the first floor. I had locked the bike. I noticed the theft only in the morning on 11/10/2006 at 7:15am. A boy who comes to clean my bike informed me that there was no bike. I came down and searched but could not find the bike. I noticed some tire marks as if the bike had been dragged. When I had enquired with the persons staying on the ground floor (the doctors), they informed me that they had seen the bike at 10:30pm on 10/10/2006 when they had come home. So, I deducted that the bike has been stolen between 10:30 pm on 10/10/2006 and 7:15am on 11/10/2006. Verbally I had informed the police that I heard a siren, their blue brigade patrol at around 12:15am on 11/10/2006. There is higher probability for the theft to occur between 12:15am on 11/10/2006 to 6:00am on 11/10/2006, as there will be people movement in my area after 6:00am.

Yes, I do miss my stolen bike but the process after is more hurting. I found that my bike was under insured with ICICI Lombard and the IDV is mentioned as Rs. 49,875. I paid Rs. 61,500 for my bike, which includes special number for Rs.2500, and electric start. The insurance paper mentions it as kick start. And even if there's an insurance pay back, it is Rs.12000 less.

I have filed the FIR and filed for insurance claim. But this process will extend from a period of 2-3 months. What am I supposed to do for another 3 months ? I do not have any extra bike or scooter and neither can I buy a new one assuming that my bike will not be found.

I am following it through some known police officers, but they have not given me hope. They informed me that after stealing within that day, the bike is dis assembled and sold as parts. (I just hope that nothing like that has happened and hope that I will get my bike whole as on the day it was stolen.) The police officers at the police station have a bored look. They do not care at all.
I have borrowed my dad's bike temporarily, but it has given me such a bad back, that I do not want to use this device. It is going to be be long frustrating weeks with "Nataraja" service and Auto haggling.

All I wish is there some RFID device that I could hide into my bike which has a battery life of 1 year and a traceability area of 3-5 sq kms. If it is cost effective, then all these thefts will be passe. The police could trace all vehicles sitting in one location (A manufacturer site) With improvements, this tag can provide a better version and linking this with vehilcles will provide a maximum deterrent to theft, not only in India but also all over the world.

Any body else thinking along my lines ?

Ingenious Crime at the roadside temple

This incident happened just 2 days back. I have a friend by the name of JRN Rao. He has a small temple (pillayar koil) just outside his flat. Normally, he does Pooja to it on a regular basis. On Monday, he saw a small urchin going around the temple with fervor after his morning pooja. His wife who had gone to the temple after he had left came back immediately since she did not like the looks of the boy. She suspected that kid to be a thief and informed that he was behaving in a suspicious manner. Since she was wearing jewels, she came inside the house and complained to Rao.

Mr.Rao (detective) came out and saw that the kid did act in a suspicious manner. He would go around once stop in the front touch the hundi and so on. He had been going around for the past 15 minutes. Mr.Rao kept behind him slowly and peered, he saw that the urchin would go around once, put his hand in the hole in the hundi, stop for a few secs, look around to see if no one was looking, take his hand, and so on.

The next time he came around and put his hand on the hundi, Mr.Rao ran there and grabbed his hand. He questioned him on his actions for which the urchin said he did not do anything. On close scrutiny of the hundi, Mr.Rao saw a small black ribbon hanging out. When the urchin was questioned, he shook his head that he did not know anything.

When Mr. Rao threatened to take him to the police for suspicious activity and behaviour, the urchin started taking the ribbon out, and guess what came with it ???
COINS !!! A whole bunch of them were stuck to the horse magnet attached to the black ribbon.

His mode of operation was explained by the urchin on further questioning. He would go around once. Stop. Put the magnet into the hundi. Go around. Take the magnet with coins outside. Next round put the magnet in. And so on.

After that, he fell down at Rao’s feet and the general sob story..that he was from a good family and he needed money…he will not do it again…and so on. Mr.Rao being a softy had released and told him never to repeat it again.

Many of us who heard this real story from him were very much angry at the boy’s behaviour except some of us including me, who marveled at that street urchin’s ingenuity at committing the crime.