Police solve two-and-a-half-year-old car theft case during routine check

In a surprising turn of events, police have cracked a two-and-a-half-year-old car theft case while conducting routine operations along the Chief Minister’s route in Sri Muktsar Sahib district. The breakthrough occurred on November 13, when DSP Pritpal Singh of 75th Battalion PAP Jalandhar noticed a suspiciously parked white Brezza near Kotbhai police station.

What caught DSP Singh’s attention was the vehicle’s registration plate, which was missing the mandatory serial number, raising doubts about its legitimacy. Based on his suspicion, Singh checked the car’s registration details and contacted the registered owner, a lawyer from Ludhiana. The lawyer revealed that the original registration certificate had been stolen some time ago and that he had since received a replacement copy.

The vehicle was immediately seized and shifted to Kotbhai police station for further investigation.

As per instructions from DSP Gidderbaha Avtar Singh and SHO Inspector Jasveer Singh, a thorough examination of the chassis and engine numbers of the car was conducted. This investigation revealed that the vehicle was reported stolen from Hoshiarpur in March 2022. At that time, a theft case under Section 379 of the IPC had been registered at the Model Town police station in Hoshiarpur.

The rightful owner, who reported the theft of the car more than two years ago, was contacted and informed of the recovery. Overcome with joy, the owner and his family expressed their sincere gratitude to the police. The car was formally transferred to its owner after the necessary legal formalities were completed and court orders obtained.

Moreover, a fresh FIR has been registered against an unknown person under Sections BNS 317(2) and 341(2) for using a fake registration plate on the stolen vehicle. Investigating officer ASI Gurmeet Singh said: “We are actively investigating the person responsible for parking the car and are confident that the culprit will be apprehended soon.”