Pune’s Abhay Chaugule is using a powerful mix of sarcasm and sentiment to appeal to a thief. This Visual Arts schoolteacher`s bike was stolen on Dussehra day on October 12 from near his friend`s home. Since then, Chaugule has been standing at different spots in Pune holding a banner aloft.

The banner reads in Marathi: “This is a humble appeal to whoever has stolen my bike. My mother had worked very hard for it and bought it when I was in the Std. XII. This is her last memory. Please return it.” The banner has the bike number and Chaugule`s mobile number too. Chaugule, 31, said, “I lost my mom three months ago to breast cancer. She used to do tailoring work. She used to store the money she collected in a  ‘dabba’. She bought this bike 14 years ago for approximately Rs 45,000. This was the first bike for the family. There is so much sentiment attached to it.”