In a significant operation, city police busted a car theft gang and arrested four suspects who were running a fraudulent car rental scheme. The gang would rent vehicles and later steal them, eventually selling the cars to unsuspecting buyers.
The scam was uncovered following an investigation into an incident reported by a Chomu resident. In December, the vehicle owner rented out a Mahindra Scorpio and a Mahindra Thar to two individuals who claimed to be organizing a family trip. The two suspects, identified as Rahul Saini and Harendra Singh alias Kuldeep, approached the owner under the pretense of needing the vehicles for a trip.
However, suspicions grew when Saini later informed the owner that the cars were in the possession of his accomplices, Harkesh and Praveen, and would be returned soon. The situation took a darker turn when Saini refused to return the vehicles and even threatened the owner. This prompted the owner to file an FIR on January 1.
The investigation led the police to arrest the suspects:
Praveen Kumar (22)
Rahul Saini (23)
Ravi Kumar alias Golu (19)
Harendra Singh alias Kuldeep Singh (33)
The accused allegedly rented the two vehicles with the intention of leasing them out and eventually selling them. After acquiring the cars, they would rent them to other suspects and ultimately strike deals to sell them. Police suspect the racket had been operating for a long period before being uncovered.
