Hyderabad:
A 23-year-old MBA student has been arrested for allegedly stealing spare wheels and rims from parked cars across Telangana’s Hyderabad, with police recovering 15 wheels, including 12 from Mahindra Thar vehicles.
The investigation began after a complaint on October 20 over the theft of a spare wheel from a Mahindra Thar parked outside Galaxy Enclave Apartments in Rethibowli.
Police registered a case and examined CCTV footage, which showed a man — later identified as Soban Ali Khan — arriving on a scooter, removing the wheel and leaving.
The footage shows him sitting on his scooter and using his mobile phone. He then gets off and walks up to the black Thar, and tries to remove the spare tyre mounted on the rear tailgate. He, however, rushes back to his scooter when he spots another scooter coming towards him. As soon as the scooter crossed him, he again goes to the Thar and tries to remove the stepney. He then spots someone and again returns to his scooter.
For almost a minute, he stood next to his scooter, and kept looking up and down the lane.
He then gets off again, goes to the Thar and removes the tyre within seconds and flees on his scooter.
The police reviewed the CCTV footage and arrested Khan on Saturday.
Khan targeted vehicles, particularly Mahindra Thars, and used an unusual method to obtain tools.
“He would visit puncture repair shops, claiming he needed tools for a puncture and pay a refundable deposit of Rs 200 to Rs 300. After removing the vehicle’s spare wheel and rim, he would return the tools and collect his deposit,” the investigators said.
Police further said that he could “easily” remove the stepneys with a spanner.
The accused’s father works at a wheel-alignment shop, giving him familiarity with spare wheels.
Khan disclosed his alleged involvement in 11 theft cases registered across 10 police station limits, including two in Attapur. The stations named include Film Nagar, Langar House, Gudimalkapur, Saifabad, Chandrayangutta, Chaderghat, Chatrinaka, Meerpet and Narayanguda.
Two Ford Endeavour wheels and a Ford EcoSport wheel were also recovered from him.
Police said they would seek his custody to establish when the thefts began, whether more cases are linked to him and where the stolen wheels were sold. Investigators are also checking the alleged buyers and possible disposal network.
