Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A tech-savvy car theft gang stole two Tata Harrier cars worth Rs 25 lakh within just 25 minutes from New Shreyanagar and Osmanpura on Tuesday night, raising serious concerns about the safety of roadside parked vehicles and posing a fresh challenge for police.
Civil contractor Sagar Tiwari (40), a resident of New Shreyanagar, had parked his Tata Harrier outside the house of his friend and corporator Raju Vaidya on February 17 at 8 pm due to lack of parking. The next morning, broken glass was found at the spot, and the car was missing. Police said the gang stole the vehicle at 3:26 am within 10 minutes. Within half an hour, at around 4 am, the gang stole another Tata Harrier belonging to Vivekanand Bhosale (71), a resident of Dashmesh Nagar. Alarmed by the incidents, corporator Raju Vaidya informed police commissioner Pravin Pawar, and cases were registered at Osmanpura police station. Earlier, on February 11, two cars were stolen from Osmanpura and Jawaharnagar, including one from outside a sitting MLA’s residence. CCTV footage from the latest theft shows two suspects, one using a tablet-like OBD device or relay box to unlock and start the car before escaping within 10 minutes. Police said the gang conducts reconnaissance in luxury vehicles, indicating a well-organized, high-tech operation.