Over a month after a senior Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer’s bike was stolen from near Madras High Court in Chennai, police are yet to recover the vehicle or apprehend the culprit. This is despite the fact that the offender made no effort to mask his face, which was clearly visible in the footage from multiple CCTV cameras. On July 16th, at 10 am, the officer parked his bike in his usual spot and went to his office. When he returned in the evening, he discovered his bike was missing. Police established from CCTV camera footage that the thief broke the lock and rode away with the vehicle within an hour of it being parked. The Esplanade police registered a case and tracked the suspect through CCTV footage from various locations, including RA Mandram Road, Flag Staff Road, Napier Bridge, Labour Statue, Vivekananda House Road, and Lighthouse Road. The trail was followed as far as Thiruvanmiyur, where it went cold. Despite riding without a helmet, the thief was not stopped by traffic police personnel along the way. The IB officer has questioned why police have not been able to locate the thief despite having clear footage of his face. Although police claim to have formed special teams to recover the bike, no significant breakthrough has been made in the case. In many bike theft cases, victims have often found police personnel reluctant to register FIRs and have even been advised to bring CCTV footage themselves to aid in catching the accused. This incident raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the Chennai police in dealing with such crimes. It also highlights the need for improved coordination between different law enforcement agencies in the city.
