IT employee claims senior techie was put on notice period, blacklisted after stealing his Rs 1,500 helmet

The account has since gone viral. Many commenters criticised the alleged conduct of the senior employee.

A post shared on Reddit has drawn significant attention after an IT employee claimed that a senior colleague was placed on notice period and reportedly blacklisted for taking a helmet valued at Rs 1500 from the company’s basement parking area and leaving behind a damaged one.

The account was posted by a user identified as “shaxcasm” on the Fresher Tech Jobs India subreddit. The individual stated that they have been working at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for nearly a year and commute daily by two-wheeler, routinely parking in the company’s basement facility.

Describing the incident, the employee wrote: “Like any normal day, I parked my vehicle around 11:30 AM and left my helmet on the mirror (I know… mistake #1 — I never used a lock because nothing had ever happened before).”

According to the post, the employee returned at approximately 6 PM to find the helmet missing.

“When I came back around 6 PM, my helmet was gone,” the Redditor stated. “But here’s the weird part — someone had placed another helmet in its spot. Except this one was badly damaged, had a huge dent, and the visor was completely broken.”

The employee concluded that the incident was not an opportunistic theft but a deliberate exchange. “So this wasn’t random theft. Someone intentionally swapped helmets,” the post read.

The matter was first reported to a nearby security desk. The employee was informed that there was no CCTV coverage in the basement parking area, which they described as surprising. The employee then approached the control room and was advised to email Human Resources. According to the post, HR redirected the query to Business Group HR, which in turn redirected it elsewhere.

“For almost one week, I kept going in circles with mails and follow-ups,” the Redditor wrote.

The employee later discovered that issues relating to parking and vehicles were managed by the transport team rather than HR. Upon contacting that department, the employee learned that the transport team oversees shuttle and cab services for multiple projects and that many of those vehicles operate with 24×7 dashcams within the campus.

After submitting the relevant details, the employee reported that approximately a week later they received a call stating: “Your helmet has been found. Please come collect it this Saturday.”

The Redditor said they attended expecting the matter to involve an external party. Instead, they were informed that the individual responsible was an employee of the company.

“I found out the person who took my helmet was an employee — someone much senior to me in age, probably around 35–40. He had been working in TCS for about 4 years and had experience across multiple companies,” the post stated.

According to the account, the senior employee had allegedly taken the original helmet and left his own damaged helmet behind.

The Redditor added: “The outcome? He was placed on notice period and reportedly blacklisted. And before anyone asks — no, my helmet wasn’t some premium racing gear. It cost around Rs 1500.” Reflecting on the situation, the employee wrote: “Still can’t wrap my head around risking your career over something like this.”

The post concluded with a warning to others: “Lesson learned: Lock your helmet. Even inside corporate parking.”

The account has since gone viral. Many commenters criticised the alleged conduct of the senior employee.

One user wrote: “Don't understand what's the thrill in stealing someone else's helmet. Firstly, it's relatively affordable to replace your own. Secondly, why risk the reputation you build for a petty crime. Third, that helmet has been on someone else's head, carrying their sweat, smell and anything their head might hold, who in their right mind wants to actually use it. I feel the ick using the rapido helmets so I carry my own for the rides.”

Another commented: “People go to a country(like USA) and shoplift there after spending millions of rupees studying or earning, so not surprised that this is happening within India too.”

A third user expressed a different view regarding the company’s response, stating: “Placing him on a notice period was a more cruel punishment than firing him on the spot!”

Disclaimer: This is user-generated content shared on Reddit. Moneycontrol.com could not independently verify the authenticity of such claims.