Car lifters’ racket busted: Three arrested in Bengaluru, cops recover 10 stolen vehicles

Prabhakar, a car dealer known to the complainant, claimed that he had an SUV for sale and sent photographs of the vehicle to him through WhatsApp.
City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh inspects the duplicate stamp papers seized by Wilson Garden police in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh inspects the duplicate stamp papers seized by Wilson Garden police in Bengaluru on Wednesday.(Photo | Shashidhar Byrappa)
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BENGALURU: Wilson Garden police have arrested three persons for allegedly forging vehicle registration certificates (RCs), bank no-objection certificates (NOCs) and seals of government offices/officials and using them to sell stolen cars.

Ten high-end cars and a two-wheeler worth around Rs 2 crore have been seized. The accused N Somesh, 46, of Kengeri; S Santosh alias Appu, 37, of Jnanabharathi; and C Prabhakar, 43, of Soladevanahalli. This racket came to light after a resident of Mehboob Layout in Wilson Garden filed a police complaint on September 3.

Prabhakar, a car dealer known to the complainant, claimed that he had an SUV for sale and sent photographs of the vehicle to him through WhatsApp. The dealer asked the complainant to pay an advance of Rs 20,000 through UPI to one of his associates, promising to show the vehicle the same day. Later, the complainant met the dealer near a park in Wilson Garden, where the vehicle was handed over to him along with its RC. Later, it was found that the RC was fake.

Prabhakar allegedly confessed that he and his associates forged RCs, bank NOCs and seals of government offices and officials and supplied them to dealers, who used them to sell stolen vehicles to unsuspecting customers. The police have seized fake RCs, a machine used to prepare RCs, seals, e-stamp papers, a computer and a printer from Prabhakar. Nine cars, one two-wheeler and fake RCs were also seized.

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