13 August,2026 12:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mumbai Police recover four stolen auto-rickshaws worth Rs 3.34 lakh (Pic/Special arrangement)
The Nirmal Nagar Police have arrested a 20-year-old accused of allegedly being involved in auto-rickshaw theft. Officials from the Nirmal Nagar Police Station recovered four stolen auto-rickshaws worth around Rs 3.34 lakh.
As per the official statement, the accused, identified as Kartik Shivshankar Upadhyay, was arrested after police investigated the theft of an auto-rickshaw from the Khar East area.
The officials said that an auto-rickshaw bearing registration number MH 02 DU 2868 was stolen on August 9 from near Golibar Road, in front of Ambewadi Police Chowky, Khar East. The Nirmal Nagar Police registered a case under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
During the investigation, officials found that a person wearing black full-length trousers and a black vest had parked another auto-rickshaw, bearing registration number MH 02 DU 0995, before allegedly fleeing with the stolen vehicle.
Police subsequently identified the suspect as Upadhyay, who is unemployed and resides in the Vakola area of Santacruz East.
A police team laid a trap on August 10 between 3 pm and 11 pm and apprehended the accused. During questioning, police said Upadhyay admitted to the offence.
Further investigation and examination of police records allegedly revealed that the accused was involved in 14 theft cases registered at Nirmal Nagar, Vakola and Kherwadi police stations.
During interrogation, police recovered four stolen auto-rickshaws linked to different cases.
The total value of the recovered property has been estimated at approximately Rs 3.34 lakh.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of senior officers of the Western Regional Division, including Mumbai Police Commissioner Devendra Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner of Police Abhinav Deshmukh and Deputy Commissioner of Police Nimit Goyal.
Officers from the Nirmal Nagar Police Station and the detection team were involved in the investigation, with senior officers from the Western Regional and Kherwadi divisions overseeing the operation.
The police said further investigation into the auto-rickshaw theft cases is underway.
