3 teenaged vehicle lifters held, 8 cases solved

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 17

The crime branch of the UT police today claimed to have solved eight cases of vehicle theft with the arrest of three teenaged boys.

The accused, Sukhwinder Singh (19), alias Sukha, Raj Kumar (18) and Sagar Masih (18), all Mohali residents, reportedly stole vehicles for joyrides and not to make money. On their revelation, the police have recovered eight stolen vehicles — a jeep, two Royal Enfield motorcycles, two KTM Duke, two Hero Honda Splendor and a Bajaj Pulsar — stolen from various parts of the tricity.

The three had jobs — Sukhwinder worked as a cook, Kumar a private bus conductor and Masih worked at a shop in Mohali.

It is learnt that on February 14, a police team had laid a naka near a rotary in Sector 11 following a tip-off and apprehended the accused, who were triple-riding a Royal Enfield motorcycle.

On checking, the registration number of the bike was found to be fake. It came out that it was a stolen bike and an FIR in this connection had been registered at the Sector 11 police station.

The three were thus arrested in the case. As per the police, Sukhwinder Singh first stole a Royal Enfield Bullet to impress his friends. The other two accused then decided to ride a similar motorcycle. Thus began a series of thefts by the trio to fulfill their desires of riding expensive motorcycles.

They conducted a recce of markets before making off with bikes using a ‘master key’. They changed the number plates of the stolen vehicles before going on a joyride. They also stole petrol from other vehicles to run the stolen vehicles. 

During the course of investigation, they confessed to have stolen two more motorcycles, which are yet to be recovered by the police.