Thane police nab man who stole auto-rickshaws to ferry passengers

Mumbai: The local crime branch (LCB) unit of the Thane (rural) police has arrested a 21-year-old thief who adopted a unique modus operandi to earn his daily bread and fund his addiction to alcohol.

According to the police, the accused Mayur Sagar Naik (21), a resident of Murdha village in Bhayandar, stole rickshaws and used to ferry late-night passengers in and around the Mira-Bhayandar belt.

Once the vehicle ran out of fuel, he would abandon it and walk away with the earnings. Alarmed by the rising cases of auto thefts in the region, SP Dr Shivaji Rathod deputed the LCB team to nab the culprits. “After intensifying our vigil and activating our core informer network, we rounded up the suspect. Initially, he cooked up a story claiming the involvement of his friend in the thefts. However, after sustained interrogations, he finally broke down and confessed to his single-handedly committed crime,” said assistant police inspector Pramod Badhakh.

It emerged that Naik, who stayed alone in his tenement in Murdha village, was addicted to alcohol and mostly targeted older auto-rickshaws for the ease of stealing. Based on information provided by Naik, the police recovered four stolen autos, which will be handed over to their rightful owners after necessary verifications.

A case under sections 379 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against Naik, who has been remanded in custody.

The case has been handed over to the Bhayandar police for investigation.