Warangal: Man flees with bike on pretext of test ride, held

Warangal: The Crime Branch Police on Thursday arrested a 26-year-old person, who stole a bike posing as a buyer. The accused has been identified as Gandikota Prabas Raj, a resident of Deendayal Nagar in Hanamkonda.

According to ACP B Babu Rao, Prabhas approached the complainant, who put his motorcycle for sale through an online marketing platform. He called the bike owner and expressed his intent to purchase the vehicle. Following which the deal was finalised for Rs 29,000 on April 26. The next day the accused called the bike owner to bring his vehicle to Kasikunta area in Mills Colony Police Station limits.

Later, he disappeared after taking took the vehicle on the pretext of test drive. After the bike owner lodged a complaint with the Mills Colony Police, the case was assigned to the crime branch. Inspector L Ramesh Kumar, who led the investigation traced the movements of the accused based on mobile phone signals. The police arrested Prabas at a checkpost near Karimbad water tank area and recovered the bike from him.

Inspector Ramesh said that the accused had earlier worked as a cocktail mixer at a bar in Hyderabad. Commissioner of Police V Ravinder commended the crime branch for nabbing the accused.