Bhopal: Stolen Scooter Traced After Traffic Camera Photographs Rider in Police Uniform

An odd case has surfaced in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, where a scooter that police were hunting for after a theft complaint was found running freely on city roads. The case broke open only after the same stolen scooter jumped a traffic signal at Roshanpura Square. An e-challan was issued for the violation and the accompanying photo was sent to the vehicle's registered owner — who was stunned to recognise her own scooter, reported stolen weeks earlier at Kohefiza police station. The photo showed the scooter being ridden by a young woman dressed in police uniform. The theft had been reported on 22 August, when Kohefiza police registered a case and began investigating.

Scooter Belongs to Nursing Officer

Neelu Sahu, a resident of Airport Road, works as a nursing officer at Hamidia Hospital. She told police that on the morning of 22 August, she rode the scooter to duty at 8:05 am, parked it outside the Matron's office and went in to sign the register. When she returned about 25 minutes later, the scooter was gone. After searching for it without success, she filed a complaint at Kohefiza police station. She said a black bag was also hanging on the scooter, containing an iPhone, a SIM card, an e-SIM, a pen drive, an SBI ATM card and a car's digital key.

E-Challan Arrives 11 Days Later

No trace of the scooter turned up after the theft complaint was filed. Then, on 2 September, an e-challan arrived at Neelu's home, showing that the traffic signal at Roshanpura Square had been jumped. The moment she saw the photograph attached to the challan, she was shocked and immediately went to the traffic police to report the full sequence of events.

Question: Who Is the Woman in Uniform?

The case has been handed to investigating officer ASI Shobharam. He said the team is working to establish who the scooter reached after the theft and who the young woman riding it is — whether she is genuinely a police officer or was wearing the uniform to conceal her identity. The investigation is ongoing. What is clear so far is that a vehicle already reported stolen to police continued to be used openly on city roads even after the complaint was filed.