The motorbike that was allegedly stolen by the three students at Patliputra police station in Patna on Monday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Sept. 19: Two days before police could launch the drive against underage motorbike riders in the state capital, three Class IX students of Don Bosco Academy on Ashiana-Digha road found themselves on the wrong side of the law for stealing a brand new motorbike belonging to one of their seniors.

When the police reached the school and took the trio into custody today, the school authorities rusticated them immediately and allegedly ordered them to take off their school uniform. Thereafter, they asked the boys’ parents to fetch them a fresh set of clothes and take them away.

Last Saturday evening, the boys, aged between 14 and 15 and from well-to-do families, chanced upon a shiny Bajaj Pulsar motorbike near the gate of Parag Apartments in New Patliputra Colony, where they went for their tuitions.

The owner, a Class XI student of the same school, had forgotten to remove the keys. The trio grabbed the opportunity and went on a short ride.

“Finally, the trio, of whom two reside in Boring Road area, while the third in Lodhipur, decided to take it away. On reaching the AN College area, the first two boys decided to keep the bike. The third friend was promised a ride whenever he pleased,” a police officer at Patliputra police station said. The owner lodged an FIR about the theft the same evening.

The trio scratched away the registration number from its plate and replaced it with “A/F” (Applied For) sign before pasting more stickers it to prevent easy identification.

“With the first two boys always riding the bike, the third one in Lodhipur began to feel ignored. The duo rode the bike to school today and hid it in a bush nearby. An altercation broke out among the three boys and the third boy went and spilled the beans to the bike owner,” the police officer said.

The owner alerted his parents, who in turn, apprised the police.

“The boys denied involvement initially but later confessed. The school authorities called up their parents. The management asked the trio to take off their shirts and belts. When the parents said they did not bring spare clothes for their wards, the school gave them sports jerseys and rusticated them, shrugging all responsibilities for the boys’ actions,” the officer added.

City superintendent of police (central) Shivdeep Lande, who reached the police station, said: “The bike owner’s family has already lodged an FIR against the trio. But the school’s attitude here is questionable. Why should the students be ordered to take off their uniforms? This is quite inhuman.”

When contacted, school principal Mary Alphonsa, said: “We only allow students of Class XII to come to school on two-wheelers. The police was in school today and the incident took place.” She, however, refused to comment on the uniform incident.