The Nashik Crime Branch Unit-1 has uncovered a racket involving stolen rickshaws being operated in the city with fake number plates. A rickshaw driver, identified as Ramnath Bhaurao Gaulesar (40), a resident of Canada Corner, has been arrested. The police seized six rickshaws worth ₹6.25 lakh from him.
The investigation began when Crime Branch official Vishal Kathe received information about a suspicious rickshaw being used in the Bharatnagar area on Wadala Road. He immediately alerted Senior Police Inspector Madhukar Kad, who formed a team led by Assistant Inspector Hemant Todkar and Sub-Inspector Chetan Shriwant Ardi. Acting swiftly, the team arrested the suspect in Bharatnagar.
During interrogation, it was revealed that Ramnath had been procuring stolen rickshaws from areas like Thane and Kalyanphata over the past six to seven months. He would bring these stolen vehicles to Nashik, replace their original registration plates with fake ones, and lease them to local drivers on a daily rental basis.
Of the six seized rickshaws, three were found to have theft cases registered in Mumbra, Shivajinagar (Ambernath), and Kalwa police stations. Investigations are ongoing to trace the origins of the remaining three vehicles.
The police suspect that Ramnath was part of a larger network and are currently searching for the accomplice who supplied him with the stolen rickshaws. Ramnath has been handed over to the Shivajinagar police for further investigation.
The police have urged citizens to verify vehicle documents and registration plates when purchasing or renting rickshaws to avoid unknowingly becoming part of such illegal activities. This operation highlights the proactive efforts of the Nashik Crime Branch in curbing vehicle-related crimes in the city.