Luxury Car Theft Racket Exposed, Police Recover Stolen Fortuner
Nagpur, India: Nagpur police have caught a gang that was selling luxury cars at low prices and then stealing them back. Two men, Paras Shekhalia (26) and Prashant Vaghalia (30) from Surat, have been arrested, while three others are still missing. The police also recovered a stolen Toyota Fortuner worth ₹43 lakh.
Sanjay Kalra, a garment trader from Nagpur, wanted to buy a Fortuner. Through a local dealer, he was connected to the gang, who told him they needed money urgently for a wedding. They offered to sell the car for ₹43 lakh, which was ₹5 lakh cheaper than the market price. Kalra agreed and paid ₹15 lakh upfront, with the rest to be covered by a loan.
On February 9, Kalra was supposed to collect the car in Surat, but the gang asked him to come to Mumbai instead. At a restaurant in Dahisar, they handed over the Fortuner after taking another ₹12 lakh. They gave him only one key, saying the second key was in Surat and would be given later. Kalra drove the car back to Nagpur and later took it to Raipur before returning home on February 13.
However, in the early hours of February 17, the accused used the second key to steal the car from Kalra’s house. CCTV footage showed them unlocking the car and driving away. When Kalra called them, they denied involvement. Later, they admitted to the theft and demanded ₹3 lakh to return the car. Kalra sent ₹50,000, but the gang stopped responding.
Kalra then reported the theft to the police. After investigating, the police arrested Paras and Prashant in Surat and recovered the stolen Fortuner. The two men were sent to judicial custody, while police are still searching for the remaining gang members.
