Pushparaj with GPS tracker (L), stolenbike which was tracked within three hours (R)

CHENNAI: A city teenager who managed to track down his stolen bike within three hours on Sunday as he had fixed a GPS tracker to it got a shock when the thief turned out to be someone who had studied with him till Class IX.

Pushparaj - 19 - of Secretariat Colony, who worked with Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) as a contract labourer, had recently bought an expensive bike and fixed a GPS tracker costing Rs1,500. Around 4 am on Sunday, he notice that the bike parked outside his home was missing. He alerted his friends, who arrived on another bike. They decided to follow the stolen bike but realised it was too far away for them to catch.

So they informed inspector E Rajeshwari of Secretariat Colony police station, who was on night rounds near Nammalvar Pet. She sent sub-inspector Shanmugasundaram and constable Prabhu along with Pushparaj in an autorickshaw to chase the bike which the GPS showed was near Thiruvanmiyur and was going towards East Coast Road.

As they gave chase, the police found bike had been stopped at Neelankarai, Mahabalipuram and Vengambakkam along the ECR. “Since they halted at many places, the police were able to catch up with the high-end motorbike,” said inspector Rajeshwari.

The chasers caught up with the thieves when they stopped near the Koovathur bus stand. The two policemen got down at a distance and Pushparaj alone ahead in the autorickshaw so as not to raise suspicions. Pushparaj went up to the man who had his bike and grabbed him by his collar, only to realise it was Megasurya, who had studied with him till Class IX .

By then the police too turned up and arrested Megasurya and Vinoth Kumar, also 19, who was riding pillion on the stolen bike. They have been remanded in judicial custody. Police said the two Pulianthope residents were repeat offenders who were involved in chain-snatching and way-laying cases.

