Mangaluru: Police arrest inter-district bike thief, recover over 20 stolen bikes

Mangaluru: Police from Kankanady Town Station have arrested an inter-district bike thief who had been stealing two-wheelers from fairs, Kambala events, malls, bus stands, and railway stations.

The arrested individual has been identified as Manikantha Gowda K. (24) from Soraba, Shivamogga district. Police have recovered more than 20 stolen bikes from him. Additionally, three individuals—Satish Bangera from Karkala, Deekshith from Moodbidri, and Sanganna Honnalli from Talikote—who purchased stolen bikes from Manikantha were also taken into custody. Cases have been filed against them for acquiring and selling vehicles without proper documentation.

Manikantha had been involved in bike thefts across Mangaluru city, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Chikkamagaluru districts. Some of the stolen bikes were found hidden in Moodbidri.

Targeting Splendor bikes and Activa scooters

Being a mechanic himself, Manikantha used his skills to disable the ignition socket plugs and steal bikes within seconds. He primarily targeted Hero Honda Splendor motorcycles due to their high resale value and also stole Activa scooters. The stolen vehicles were later sold at lower prices.