20 September,2016 08:30 AM IST | | Anurag Kamble
After stealing the spare key of an SUV parked in Nariman Point a month ago, it appears that the thief finally got a chance to get his hands on the vehicle
Powai resident Ratan Karkera with his car that was stolen
After stealing the spare key of an SUV parked in Nariman Point a month ago, it appears that the thief finally got a chance to get his hands on the vehicle. The car, belonging to a 46-year-old Powai resident, was stolen in the early hours of Sunday from the NCPA area.
The Marine Drive police said the victim's debit card, which was likely inside the car, was used to withdraw Rs 1.2 lakh from an ATM in the Mira-Bhayander area. They have registered a case of theft and are investigating the case.
Driven off
Victim and car owner Ratan Karkera is in the construction business. Explaining what happened, an officer said that Karkera, who is associated with a fitness club called Strider Miles, was in Nariman Point that day for a club activity.
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He met fellow members at the venue at 5.55 am, after parking his Fortuner (MH-03-AW-5375) near Hotel Trident. When returned to the spot two hours later, the vehicle was nowhere to be seen. "Suspecting that it must have been stolen, I rushed to the Marine Drive police station. Even as I was registering a complaint, I got an SMS that Rs 1.2 lakh has been withdrawn from my account," he said.
Last month, when Karkera was in Nariman Point area, he had found one of its windows broken and a thousand rupees and a spare key missing. "I had reported that incident to the police as well," he said.
Cop speak
Senior Inspector Popat Yadav said, "An attempt to steal the car must have happened last month, but, for whatever reason, the thief couldn't manage it. After keeping a watch for more than a month, he found the car parked in the same place, and this time, managed to drive it away."
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An officer investigating the case said that while they have managed to get hold of footage from a CCTV in the area, it's blurred, and hence, they are trying to get clips from another one.
"After getting the complaint, we informed our men to keep a watch at Dahisar, Thane and Vashi check nakas. We suspect it to be the act of a habitual offender or of a gang. We have contacted other police stations that have registered cases of similar kind of motor theft in the past," he added.
