Chennai: In a dramatic interstate operation, the Chennai Police have recovered a luxury car stolen from the city’s Thirumangalam area last June, ultimately locating it abandoned in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, near the sensitive Pakistan border. The vehicle, which had been driven a staggering 45,000 kilometres in the 85 days it was missing, has been returned to its rightful owner, even as authorities investigate potential links to anti-national activities.
A Nationwide Network Unravelled
The case began on the night of June 6th when a resident of Anna Nagar reported his luxury car stolen from Thirumangalam. The Thirumangalam police, acting on the complaint, launched an investigation that quickly led them to Puducherry, where they apprehended the prime suspect, Satendar Sekhavat. During interrogation, Sekhavat confessed to being a career car thief with over two decades of experience, claiming responsibility for stealing more than 120 luxury cars across various Indian states.
He revealed his modus operandi involved working with a network of associates who would alter the vehicle’s identification marks and paperwork before selling them fraudulently in far-flung markets. Sekhavat specifically identified his accomplices as being based in Rajasthan, prompting Chennai police to dispatch a team to the northern states.
From Chennai to the Border: A Suspicious Journey
Acting on a specific tip that the car theft gang was active in the border areas of Rajasthan, the Chennai police team zeroed in on the Palwar district. Their pursuit led them to the Barmer district, where they found the stolen Chennai-registered car abandoned. Investigators believe the suspects fled the scene upon learning of the police’s approach.
The recovery revealed shocking details: the car had been fitted with false identification and showed signs of being prepared for sale. Most alarmingly, the odometer showed the vehicle had covered an astonishing 45,000 kilometres in the less than three months it was missing. This excessive mileage, coupled with its recovery location at a strategic international border, has raised serious suspicions that the car may have been used to ferry people, contraband, or weapons for anti-social activities.
A thorough investigation into this angle is now underway. The mastermind, Satendar Sekhavat, remains incarcerated in Chennai’s Puzhal jail as police continue their efforts to dismantle his extensive criminal network.