Lucknow, Oct 4 (IANS): A 17-year-old boy who worked at a roadside eatery here, has been arrested for stealing a bike to give his friend an expensive gift on his 18th birthday.

The juvenile offender wanted to impress his friend with a costly gift, but he did not have enough money.

He decided to steal something to make quick money and spotted the unattended motorcycle parked outside a house on October 1.

He used a duplicate key to open the lock and rolled it down adistance to avoid making any noise that might attract attention.

He then drove the bike away and parked it in a safe place before looking for a prospective customer.

The motorcycle owner, Ram Sahare Vishwakarma, discovered his bike missing and checked the CCTV footage to find the boy stealing it.

He lodged a complaint with the police, who started an investigation and identified the minor with the help of locals.

SHO Vikram Singh said that the accused was arrested based on the surveillance footage.

He confessed to the crime and said that he stole the bike to buy an expensive gift for his best friend’s birthday. The accused’s friend, who also has a theft case against him, turned 18 on Tuesday.

The accused said that his friend had taught him everything he knows about stealing and was like a “teacher figure” to him.

The accused will be produced in court on Wednesday.