The man riding the bike totally naked was first noticed by some passersby at the busy K K Road area in the town around the dusk yesterday.

As he raced on negotiating the evening rush, some onlookers informed the police. Unmindful of the embarrassed onlookers or the police, the man kept riding through the town's busy spots and entered the suburbs before he was halted by a closed railway gate.

Though he tried to turn to a by-lane, he failed to do so as the road was in a terribly bad shape. Police with the help of the people then caught hold of the man and took him to the station.

He did not resist when they took him into custody and clad him with a dhoti to end the streak ride. The man, who appeared to be mentally depressed, has been charged with the obscene act under the Kerala Police Act and detained at Chingavanam station on the outskirts of the town, police said.