Car thief challenge police to catch him, gets arrested

A 41-year-old car lifter from Rajasthan has been caught by the Bengaluru police. The accused reportedly stole 14 four-wheelers from Bengaluru alone in the past four years. According to a TOI report, the accused hailed from Rajasthan and was infamous for primarily targeting high-end luxury and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs). As per police reports, "The accused had imported two devices; one that helped in decoding the smart keys of the latest high-end cars and SUVs and another to produce duplicate digital as well as manual keys. After breaking into the vehicle, he would open the electronic board below the steering wheel and use the ‘lost key’ option to generate keys with the help of the imported devices. He is said to purchase the gadgets for Rs 10 lakhs."

In August 2021, Telangana cops arrested Shekawat’s wife for allegedly selling stolen vehicles and produced her before a local court in Rajasthan, seeking body warrant to take her to their state for investigation. However, the court had turned down the petition, forcing cops to free her. Then, in an audacious act of mocking the police, the car thief went ahead and sent a text to the police from Telangana saying “Catch me if you can”. Having gotten overconfident of his skills, the man was finally apprehended by Jodhpur police. His arrest prompted actions by Bengaluru police, which found CCTV evidence of Shekhawat’s involvement in the theft of an Audi car in October 2021 from Amrutahalli and finally led to his arrest by Bengaluru police. An investigating officer said that Shekhawat would steal high-end cars and SUVs and sell them in different states under forged license plates and documents. The officer further stated that in order to find his targets, Shekhawat would often go to luxury hotels and resorts, “Visiting posh hotels and beachside resorts of Goa and Maharashtra was his favourite pastime,” he said.