Thrissur woman receives Rs 17,000 traffic fines for stolen scooter weeks after theft

Thrissur: A woman from Arimbur in Thrissur has alleged that she is being forced to pay traffic fines for offences committed using her stolen scooter, even as police have yet to formally register a case weeks after the vehicle went missing.

Sunitha Suresh, who purchased the scooter on loan, said the two-wheeler was stolen from the Thrissur railway station premises on January 13. Since then, she has received multiple notices from the Motor Vehicles Department, including fines totalling Rs 17,000 for traffic violations committed after the theft.

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According to Sunitha, she had parked her scooter at the railway station in a hurry to board a train and left the keys in the vehicle. When she returned later that evening, the scooter was missing.

Suspicious porters in the area reportedly showed her photographs taken on their mobile phones of three youths taking the vehicle away. The images allegedly include the scooter’s registration number.

Despite submitting the photographs as evidence, Sunitha said officials at the Thrissur West police station informed her that a case could not be registered because the vehicle was allegedly taken by minors (as per the photograph). She said she visited the station several times and was able to meet the Circle Inspector only after waiting for hours.

Even as efforts to recover the scooter remain unsuccessful, Sunitha continues to receive traffic violation notices linked to the stolen vehicle. The most recent notice, received on February 9, included video footage from Valapattanam showing two young men and a woman riding the scooter without helmets.

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Sunitha expressed concern that the scooter could be used for more serious offences.

A cleaner employed at a private company, Sunitha said she purchased the scooter with difficulty, taking a loan that brought the total cost, including interest, to Rs 1.87 lakh. The loan installment remains pending.

Due to the delay in police action and the mounting fines, she has now filed a complaint with the Thrissur City Police Commissioner seeking immediate intervention.