Bhopal showroom employee steals Rs 23 lakh Volkswagen car to fulfil wife's wish

A Volkswagen showroom employee in Bhopal allegedly stole a Rs 23 lakh Virtus GT to fulfil his wife's fondness for expensive cars. The theft came to light during a stock check, while the car's GPS helped police trace it to near Ashima Mall.

In Short

• The vehicle had been booked in a customer's name before disappearing
• A stock verification exercise alerted the company to the missing car
• Unclear CCTV footage initially made identifying the suspect difficult

A Volkswagen showroom employee in Bhopal allegedly stole a car worth around Rs 23 lakh to fulfil his wife's wish of travelling in expensive vehicles. The accused, identified as Gajendra alias Rishi Anand, drove away a Volkswagen Virtus GT booked in a customer's name from the showroom on the night of September 28.

The theft came to light when the company conducted a stock check and found the car missing. While CCTV footage failed to clearly capture the accused's face, the vehicle's GPS tracking system eventually helped the police locate it near Ashima Mall on Narmadapuram Road on Friday night.

When the police reached the spot, they found the accused's wife driving the stolen car. However, she abandoned the vehicle and fled after spotting the police.

HOW HE PLANNED THE THEFT

According to the police, Gajendra alias Rishi Anand is originally from Hoshangabad and lives in a rented accommodation in Bhopal's Ashoka Garden area. He had been working at a Volkswagen showroom on JK Road for around a year.

His job gave him access to information about the showroom's vehicle movement and internal arrangements. Police suspect he used this familiarity to execute the theft by taking away a car that had been booked in a customer's name.

Investigating officer Omkar Singh said the accused drove the Volkswagen Virtus GT out of the showroom on September 28. The theft initially went unnoticed until the company conducted a stock verification exercise and discovered that the vehicle, worth approximately Rs 23 lakh, was missing.

GPS TRACKING LED TO THE STOLEN CAR

During the investigation, CCTV footage from the showroom did not provide a clear view of the accused's face, making identification difficult.

However, the GPS system installed in the car helped investigators trace its location. On Friday night, the vehicle was tracked to the area near Ashima Mall on Narmadapuram Road.

A police team reached the spot and found the stolen car with the accused's wife behind the wheel. The accused, however, fled, leaving the vehicle behind.

Further investigation revealed the involvement of Gajendra, a showroom employee. Police said the accused allegedly stole the expensive car to fulfil his wife's fondness for travelling in luxury vehicles.

WIFE TO BE QUESTIONED

The Ashoka Garden police have registered a case against the accused under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. The stolen Volkswagen Virtus GT has been recovered.

The police are now searching for Gajendra and investigating whether anyone else helped him carry out the theft. Investigators will also question his wife to ascertain whether she knew that the car had been stolen before she was found driving it.

- Ends
Inputs from Dharmendra Sahu