Motorcycle theft gang busted in Rajasthan's Jhalawar, four held

Jaipur, Sep 28 (PTI) Police in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district have busted a motorcycle theft racket, recovering 30 stolen two-wheelers and arresting four people, officials said on Sunday.

According to Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar, the gang not only stole motorcycles but also extorted hefty sums from vehicle owners through middlemen to return the stolen vehicles.

A joint team from Kotwali, Bakani, Sadar and Jhalrapatan police stations carried out the operation, arresting two thieves and two brokers. Another middleman managed to escape and is being traced, Kumar said. All four arrested have been taken into police custody.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that after stealing vehicles, they either removed the original number plates or replaced them with fake ones to mislead the police.

Later, with the help of middlemen, they contacted the owners and demanded money in exchange for returning the motorcycles.

After receiving the payment, the vehicles were abandoned at deserted locations.

Police recovered 30 motorcycles stolen from Jhalawar, Kota city and adjoining areas, worth around Rs 17 lakh.

Those arrested have been identified as Suresh Kanjhar (30) and Vinod (25), both residents of Jarel, and brokers Vedraj Singh (42) and Gajraj (50) of Biriakhedi in the Sadar area.

Kumar said all four are habitual offenders with around two dozen cases of theft, robbery and burglary registered against them. PTI AG HIG