Think twice before you hand over your car keys for parking to a security guard next time, for it may spell trouble. The Mansa police on Friday nabbed a person who used to run a valet security agency in resorts and marriage palaces for theft of cars. The suspect would get the car keys from the owner for parking and would plan theft of the vehicle after taking out its registration papers, police said.

The police have arrested Sandeep Kumar (26) of Rajasthan from a police barrier at Behniwal village in Mansa. Kumar runs Sharma Valet Traffic Security Agency in Zirakpur. The police have recovered two Innova cars from Kumar.

The police claimed that the suspect used to ask vehicle owners who would come to restaurants to hand over the car keys to security agency for parking.

Senior superintendent of police Narinder Bharghav said: "The suspect and his accomplices have no criminal records. Two Innova cars worth Rs. 20 lakh had been recovered and more seizures are likely."

Sandeep Kumar used to take contract for parking at marriage palaces and resorts and would than steal cars through a unique modus operandi. A case under Sections 379, 411, 419, 420, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Jaurkian police station.

Modus operandi

The police said valet security agency owner Sandeep Kumar asked a vehicle owner to hand over the car keys for parking at a private resort on Zirakpur Road. He later claimed to have lost the keys and apologised to the vehicle owner.

The car was registered in the name of JC Auto Pvt Ltd. Kumar then took the car owner back to the resort for fetching the spare keys of the car. After a few days, the suspect drove away the car by using the keys, which he claimed to have lost.

Sandeep stole another Innova car in a similar manner. The car was registered in the name of a resident of Chandigarh, Ashok Bansal. The suspect swapped number plates of the two cars.