The man who stole his Mercedes held; CCTV footage and car keys gave him in

Senior inspector Bhagwat Bansod of RAK Marg police station said Vijay Ramlal Dhavan, who runs a real estate firm in Delhi, was arrested in Delhi on June 1 and brought to Mumbai for stealing a Mercedes registered in his name.

Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (RAK) Marg police recently arrested a 62-year-old Delhi businessman for stealing his own Mercedes car. The police believe he staged the theft to claim the insurance amount.

The police believe Dhavan stole his own car using a second set of keys. Image used for representational purpose only.

Senior inspector Bhagwat Bansod of RAK Marg police station said Vijay Ramlal Dhavan, who runs a real estate firm in Delhi, was arrested in Delhi on June 1 and brought to Mumbai for stealing a Mercedes registered in his name. “Dhavan was produced in court in Mumbai on June 6 and was remanded in police custody till June 9, and the car has been seized,” said Bansod.

On May 25, Dhavan asked two business acquaintances, Zulfiqar Abdul Waqil Ahmed and Lal Bahadur Singh, to transport his Mercedes to Mumbai because his friend needed it for a day. Dhavan instructed Ahmed and Singh to stay at a community lodge on RAK Marg. The duo reached Mumbai on the afternoon of May 26 and checked into the specified lodge. They parked the car outside the compound and toured the city. When they returned in the evening, the Mercedes was still outside. The next morning, it was missing. The police believe Dhavan stole his own car using a second set of keys.

When Ahmed and Singh informed Dhavan of the missing car, he told them to file a police complaint. On May 27, the duo reported the loss of the car to RAK Marg police station, who registered an offence of theft against unknown persons. However, the police found it dubious that the Mercedes had been brought to Mumbai from Delhi for a friend. They contacted a Mercedes showroom and found out that this particular model car can only be opened using one set of keys. The police also learnt that Dhavan had recently ordered a second set of keys.

The police then scanned the CCTV footage at toll plazas and spotted Dhavan driving the Mercedes out of Mumbai on May 27. A team led by assistant police inspector Rajesh Khande and police sub-inspector Pratap Lamture left for Delhi on May 29, nabbed Dhavan on June 1.