The prevailing slump in the state diamond industry seems to be forcing the workers who have lost their job of late to take to crime to make their ends meet. The Amreli police have arrested one Kiran Kheni (24) for allegedly stealing 21 motorbikes.

Kheni, a resident of Parvadi village in Gariyadhar of Bhabnagar district, used to work as a polisher at a diamond factory in Surat. Nearly two months ago, he lost the job in the wake of the global financial crisis and started stealing motorbikes, the police said.

"He has stolen bikes from various places in Amreli and Bhavnagar districts, including Amreli city, Gariyadhar, Botad and Satadhar. He has stolen as many as 21 bikes," said an official of the Amreli police. All the thefts were reported in the last 45 days.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Kheni had targeted only bikes with gas kits and did not sell any of them. He had removed and sold the gas kits from the stolen bikes and abandoned the vehicles. He used to sell the kits for Rs 300 to 400.

Kheni told the police that having left with no source of income, he resorted to theft. He did not sell the stolen bikes fearing arrest.