A 50-year-old bicycle repairman, surnamed Xu, never expected that buying old bikes would see him kicked off the campus of Fudan University where he operated his business.

Xu had worked a total 27 years on the campus, and for the last 15 rented a unit from which he repaired bicycles for teachers and students. He had hoped to work on the campus until his retirement, but his lease was terminated by the university after he was arrested for receiving stolen bicycles.

Xu was caught in a sting operation when buying an old bike from a man, from whom he had previously bought old bikes. Xu was fined 1,000 yuan ($163), while the university demanded he move his business off campus by the end of the month.

Xu claimed he had no idea he was buying stolen bicycles.

Before returning to his hometown in Jiangsu Province, Xu wrote an apology letter to the students and teachers. And a warmhearted student, who was a frequent customer of Xu, posted the letter on Fudan's online forum.

Some students said the punishment was too harsh, and that Xu had always been an honest repairman, never overcharging, and that he had often pumped up tires and tightened screws for free. Others said Xu knew perfectly well that the bikes were stolen, that he had likely bought many over the years, and that he shouldn't be given sympathy just because he had worked on the campus for so long.

Regardless of whether Xu knew if the bikes were stolen or not, his actions helped the crimes from which he also profited.

While some students had their bicycles repaired and were pleased, others who had their bicycles stolen were saddened.

While one student claimed on the forum that when he happened to spot his stolen bicycle at Xu's booth, Xu returned the bicycle without hesitation, what about those victims who weren't so lucky and never saw their stolen bicycles again?

Xu's helpfulness and generosity cannot excuse his involvement in theft. For the same reason, 42-year-old Jin Weiguo, a former member of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), who was given a life sentence in prison last week for swindling investors and a bank out of 379 million yuan, cannot be excused for his crime just because he was listed three times on the Forbes' China Philanthropy List.

I agree with the university authorities' decision to terminate Xu's lease and put it back up for tender. But I also think Xu should be allowed to place a bid to win it back, if the students vote to allow him to do so.

If allowed back, Xu should appreciate being given a second chance and not let his customers down again.