In a shocking turn of events, a luxury Mercedes-Benz GLS 350 D 4MATIC, valued at approximately Rs50 lakh, was stolen from the basement parking of Iris Exotica Flats in Anandnagar, between 12:30 am and 9:00 am on December 6. The car, owned by Mahesh Chunara, a realty broker and resident of the apartment complex, was reported missing after Chunara discovered it was gone from the parking lot.
Chunara, who had parked the 2019 model blue SUV (GJ-01 registration) in the building’s parking area on December 3, noticed the vehicle’s absence early on December 6. After confirming with his wife that the car had not been lent out, he searched the area before filing a complaint with the Anandnagar police station the next day.
Investigations led to the shocking discovery that the car had been stolen by Vishal Gala, a friend of Chunara, using a duplicate key. The vehicle, although purchased by Chunara in 2019, was registered under the name of Gala’s wife, Neha Gala, due to loan eligibility issues. Although Chunara had paid off the loan and all associated taxes, Gala reportedly withheld the No Objection Certificate (NOC) and demanded additional money from Chunara before handing it over.
Inspector VJ Desai of Anandnagar Police shared details on the case, saying, “We have documents proving that Chunara cleared the loan and taxes, which establishes his ownership of the car, despite the registration being in Neha Gala’s name. Vishal, however, refused to hand over the NOC and kept demanding more money.”
CCTV footage from the apartment complex revealed Gala stealing the car around 4:00 am on December 6. Further investigation showed that Gala later visited a Mercedes showroom to deactivate the vehicle’s remaining keys, which raised suspicions. Staff at the showroom reportedly alerted Gala about the deactivation, complicating matters further.
Authorities are now working on locating and apprehending Vishal Gala. Inspector Desai emphasized, “We have substantial evidence, including CCTV footage and financial documents, and we expect to take the accused into custody soon.”
Additionally, police discovered that Vishal Gala is under investigation in a separate case of cyber fraud. In 2022, he had misled the Ahmedabad Cyber Cell, claiming to be a victim of a Rs 27 crore financial scam.
The investigation into the Mercedes-Benz theft continues, with authorities confident they will soon apprehend the accused and resolve the case.