Hathipol Police have cracked a major bike theft phenomenon by capturing a team of bike thieves who have multiple cases on their names.  Over 20 stolen bikes recovered from the accused are under custody of Hathipol Police station.

Subsequent to the instructions by SP Rajendra Prasad Goyal, a team as formed under the directions of Addl SP (City)Sudhir Joshi and Revenue Office Gopal Singh Bhati.  The team was formed under the supervision of Ashok Aanjna – SHO Hathipol Police Station, Trainee RPS Gopal Singh Bhati, Constable Mohammad Athar and Constable Nisar Mohammad along with Constable Vikram Singh, Constable Vinesh Kumar.

Over the last few days after the team was formed, the members spread out across those areas which were target spots for bike thieves.  Members of the police team were assigned different areas, history sheeters, ex convicts and suspects were rounded up, questioned and monitored.  The Police also picked up a handful of informants.

On 4th  May, Constable Mohammad Athar got news through his informant that a suspect, Rajendra Singh Kanawat alias Bunty Sardar was seen near the new RTO office on a black colored Pulsar motorcycle.  Members of the team were dispatched from Hathipol Police station and on reaching the new RTO office, apprehended Bunty and asked him for vehicle papers.  Not finding any documents on him, the Bike chassis number was noted and on checking the registration details, it was found that the bike was stolen from near the Registrars office at Madhuban in 2016.  Bunty was interrogated and he accepted to having stolen the bike.

On further interrogation, Bunty, who is a resident of Bhilwara, named his partner in crime, one Irfan Sheikh, alias Pui, resident of Savina.  He accepted that the two of them have stolen nearly 50 motorcycles from various places in Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Ajmer.  Some vehicles stolen from Udaipur have also been sold at Rajsamand, Bhilwara and Chittor, he further accepted.

Interrogation further led to recovery of 17 vehicles from the possession of Bunty and after Irfan was arrested today by the crack team from Hathipol Police station, another 8 vehicles were recovered from Ifran’s possession.  All of the 25 motorcycles have been kept under custody at the Hathipol station.  The list is shown below.

As per the police, Rajendra Singh, alias Bunty Sardar is a known criminal and a well established vehicle thief, who has 22 cases registered in his name at Bhilwara, Ajmer, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh and Udaipur.

Bunty and Irfan are being currently interrogated and the areas from which the recovered vehicles were stolen, are being earmarked, so that the concerned Police station can be notified.  Vehicle details will be recovered from the respective RTOs as well as the vehicle dealers based on the registration number, chassis number and engine number.  Once these details are available, the concerned Police stations will be notified and the owners will be contacted, said the Police.  As per initial information, the vehicles seem to have been stolen from Kankroli, Rajsamand, Bhilwara and from Ambamata, Pratapnagar and Bhupalpura areas of Udaipur.

Modus Operandi of the Biker Thieves

The duo used to always work together.  While one of them kept an eye out, the other will unlock the vehicle with a master key and drive it to a nearby crowded lot and park the vehicle in the crowd.  Before the police blockade started, the vehicle was already parked in the closest public parking area.  They have a master key which works on almost any motorbike and can unlock as well as start the ignition.

On interrogation, the duo further informed that they used to pick open parking areas near banks and hospitals, where people used to park their vehicles all through the day.  They also said that people chose to park their vehicles outside parking lots to save money, and these were prime target vehicles, as there was no form of security around such parked vehicles.

Once stolen, the duo used to keep the vehicle on mortgage with money lenders and borrow money on the guise of need for money towards treatment of a family member.  They used to manage to borrow between Rs 15-20 thousand per vehicle.  This arrangement ensured no one would assume that the vehicle was stolen.  A few vehicles were directly sold.  The police team is working on the whereabouts of the mortgaged vehicles, so as to recover them.  Both Bunty and Irfan were drug addicts and they used this money to buy and consume liquor and drugs.

Accused Rajendra Singh alias Bunty was presented at Court today and the police have taken him into remand till 8th May.

The police team have been recommended for bravery rewards to motivate future action and performance.