Pune: Man Offers to Buy New Scooter For Thief in Exchange for the Stolen One Citing ‘Mother’s Last Memory’
Image Instagrammed by: @abhayanjuu
A Pune resident’s emotional appeal has gone viral after his scooter-the last memory of his late mother-was stolen. Abhay Chaugule, the man behind the plea, shared his story on Instagram. His black Activa scooter went missing on Dussehra night from Pune’s Kothrud area, near the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He and his friends have been searching for it and have filed a police report, but the scooter hasn’t been recovered yet.
He said that this scooter was bought by his mother before she passed away three months back and holds great emotional value. She had been suffering from cancer before her death, and this vehicle is one of the only remaining links to her. He lost his father due to COVID-19 two years ago, so the personal value associated with the scooter is huge due to the loss of both his parents.
He posted, in Marathi, ” My black Activa MH14BZ6036 was stolen on Dussehra. It’s my mother’s last memory. Please help me find it.” The post contained his contact number and his Instagram handle, @abhayanjuu, requesting them to reach him in case someone had information. He used hashtags like #activa and #blackactivamissing for the information to spread.
Check his post here:
For the first time perhaps, Mr. Chaugule gave an open invitation to the thief himself and assured a new two-wheeler in return for that person if he brings back his mother’s scooter. The post itself received much support and emotional messages from many.
“The thief isn’t going to return the vehicle, and the police aren’t going to put in any effort. It’s been 2 years since my vehicle was stolen, but the police haven’t been able to find it,” wrote a person.
But others shared hopeful messages, for example, one who said: “My vehicle was also stolen in February, and the police found it. Yours will also be found.” Another person expressed frustration as saying, “Find that thief and put him in jail. They don’t care about your last memory or if it was a gift.”
In this post, Mr Chaugule made a humbling and direct appeal to the thief himself to return his mother’s possession. “It is her last memory, please return it,” he wrote. His promise to buy the thief a new scooter to exchange for the Activa has moved many on social media, exemplifying the depth of his loss and hope.
