3 bike-lifters arrested in city

Bhubaneswar: Nayapalli police on Saturday busted a three-member gang involved in a series of motorcycle thefts here arresting three persons and recovering 15 stolen motorcycles of different makes. Police seized incriminating documents and a bunch of duplicate motorcycle keys from them. The arrested were identified as Akash Pradhan, 33, of Maitree Vihar; Budhibaman Sahoo, 28, and Ratnakar Sahoo, 41, of Brahmagiri."Using a sophisticated way, they (gang members) used to delete engine and chassis numbers and imprint new numbers. They were also making fake registration certificates. This is a major motorcycle gang arrest, which will help reduce motorcycle theft incidents in the city," said DCP Jagmohan Meena.Police said the arrests followed an investigation into multiple motorcycle theft cases registered at Nayapalli police station. During the probe, investigators found that the accused, along with associates from areas including Patia, Kaushalyapur and Routraipur, were part of an organised network that stole motorcycles in the city, altered their identities and sold them to gullible people outside the state.According to police, Akash and Ratnakar allegedly used duplicate keys to steal motorcycles from different locations in Bhubaneswar and then transported the vehicles to a garage run by Budhibaman Sahoo at Budhakera in Brahmagiri. At the garage, the gang allegedly tampered with the stolen motorcycles by erasing, scratching and re-punching engine and chassis numbers, and imprinting fake numbers to match other vehicles.Police said the accused procured forged RC (registration certificate) books and smart cards from a vendor in Khurda, prepared documents in favour of stolen motorcycles with fake engine and chassis numbers. The vehicles were then sold to customers with the forged documents.