Stolen scooter gets traffic challan, photo shows rider in khaki uniform

A stolen scooter in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal became the centre of a police investigation after its owner received a traffic violation e-challan 12 days after the vehicle went missing, with the accompanying image showing it being ridden by a person in what appeared to be a woman constable’s uniform.The scooter had allegedly been stolen from Hamidia Hospital in the Madhya Pradesh capital, prompting police to examine CCTV footage and other evidence to establish the true identity of the person riding it and trace the vehicle and the actual thief.Nursing officer Neelu Sahu, 32, a resident of Indra Vihar Colony on Airport Road, had parked her scooter on the Hamidia Hospital premises around 8 am on August 22 before going to the office to mark her attendance.When she returned about 30 minutes later, the vehicle was missing. A bag left inside the scooter contained an iPhone, PAN card, SBI ATM card and car keys, police said. Sahu subsequently approached the Kohefiza police station, where a case was registered against an unidentified person.CCTV footage from the hospital showed a person in a white shirt taking the scooter away, following which police began an operation to trace the vehicle and identify the suspect. A major breakthrough came on September 2 when Sahu received an e-challan notification on her mobile phone.The traffic department had issued the challan after the scooter was detected jumping a signal at Roshanpura Square at around 12:22 pm.The photograph attached to the violation notice left the scooter owner and police surprised, as it showed the stolen vehicle being ridden by a person dressed in khaki and appearing to be a woman constable.The development has raised several questions for investigators. Police are trying to determine whether the person seen riding the scooter was actually a police personnel, whether she had any role in the theft, or whether the vehicle had subsequently changed hands after being stolen.CCTV footage from Roshanpura Square and surrounding areas is being examined to establish the rider’s identity and movements.Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Shalini Dixit said the scooter theft was reported on August 22 and the FIR was registered the same day. She said the case came to light again after an ITMS-generated traffic challan for a signal violation was sent to the registered owner."A viral video shows an individual in uniform riding the Activa; identifying this person and determining their whereabouts is now a subject of investigation. Our police force is currently examining footage from various cameras, and action will be taken based on whatever evidence emerges from this review," Additional Deputy Commissioner Shalni Dixit told the media."We have teams deployed across the area and a network of cameras in place. We are confident that we will resolve this case and apprehend the actual thief," she asserted. "At this stage, we cannot definitively say whether the person in the video is a police officer or someone else".Police teams are now working to connect the hospital CCTV footage with the later traffic-camera images.Sahu, meanwhile, has urged police to recover her scooter at the earliest. The investigation is expected to focus on identifying the person in uniform, tracing the vehicle’s movements and determining how it came into the rider’s possession.- EndsInputs by Dharmendra SahuPublished On: Sep 9, 2026 17:25 IST