Ahmedabad LCB cracks theft of Activas from Nikol, 26 two-wheelers worth ₹24 lakh recovered, 3 held

The Local Crime Branch, Zone 5, Ahmedabad, has detected a major vehicle theft case and recovered 26 stolen Honda Activa scooters, along with other valuables, worth ₹25.45 lakh, officials said on Thursday.

The breakthrough came following a complaint registered at Nikol Police Station by Dharmapal Vijaysinh Chauhan, manager of a Honda showroom in the Nikol area, who reported that 31 vehicles had gone missing from the showroom’s warehouse between January 1 and April 1 this year.

Acting on the complaint, a team led by PSI K K Jadeja launched an investigation using human intelligence and technical surveillance to trace the stolen vehicles and identify those involved.

Police said three accused, Shahid alias 'Bada Kalu' Mohammad Arif Sheikh (19), Diguraj alias 'Digu' Dilipsinh Rathod (22), and a juvenile in conflict with the law, were apprehended on April 23. The accused were allegedly involved in stealing vehicles from the warehouse and selling them at significantly reduced prices.

According to investigators, Shahid and the juvenile were employed at the showroom's godown and used their access to steal vehicles over time. “They would remove the vehicles in phases and pass them on to the co-accused for disposal,” an officer said.

Diguraj Rathod, a resident of Viratnagar with native roots in Dhandhuka taluka, allegedly acted as the receiver and seller of the stolen property. Police said the vehicles were sold in rural areas for as little as ₹15,000 to ₹20,000, far below market value.

During the operation, the LCB team recovered 26 Activa scooters with keys, valued at ₹24.7 lakh. Additionally, two iPhones worth ₹70,000, a mobile phone, and ₹5,000 in cash were seized, taking the total value of recovered property to ₹25.45 lakh.

The accused were arrested under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police said the case, which had remained undetected, has now been successfully solved.

Officials added that further investigation is under way to trace the remaining stolen vehicles and identify additional buyers or accomplices involved in the racket.