Rajasthan man held for stealing cars in Chennai

CHENNAI: The city police have arrested a 45-year-old Rajasthan native for stealing an SUV parked outside a house in Tirumangalam. Police suspect him of stealing several cars in and around the city and in neighbouring states and transporting them to Rajasthan, where he sold them.

Tirumangalam police had registered a case based on a complaint from Ethiraj Rathinam (55) of Kathiravan colony, Anna Nagar (West). According to the complainant, his car, a Toyota Fortuner, was parked outside his house and got stolen on June 10.

After examining CCTV footage from the area, Police tracked down the suspect, Satyendra Singh Shekhawat (45) from Rajasthan. He was arrested, and a mobile phone was recovered from him.

Probe revealed that Satyendra posed as a service agent at car showrooms and secretly installed GPS trackers on luxury vehicles. He then monitored their location and stole them using fake keys, typically when they were parked outside homes.

Efforts are under way to recover the complainant's stolen car. The accused was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.