Gandhinagar SOG nabs serial car thief, recovers stolen valuables worth ₹18 lakh in days

In a swift and meticulously executed operation, the Gandhinagar Special Operations Group (SOG) has arrested a notorious car thief, identified as Akhil alias Isam Salimbhai Vohar, and recovered stolen property worth ₹18.19 lakh, including gold, silver, cash, and the vehicle used in the crime.

The arrest comes just days after a string of thefts was reported during a five-day Swaminarayan Sampraday camp in the Randesan area of Gandhinagar district, which began on October 24 and drew thousands of devotees from India and abroad.

According to the police, parking for four-wheelers had been arranged at CK Farm near the Swaminarayan temple. Between October 24 and 27, an unidentified thief broke the windows of four cars parked there and stole valuables, including gold and silver ornaments, cash, laptops and personal belongings, amounting to a total loss of ₹20.85 lakh.

Following a complaint lodged at the Infocity Police Station on October 27, immediate action was taken to trace the culprit and recover the stolen property.

Under the supervision of Police Inspectors V D Vala, the SOG team began examining CCTV footage from the temple premises, nearby roads, and the statewide CCTV “Netram” network. During this analysis, the team identified a white Hyundai Venue suspected to have been used in the thefts.

Over 70 CCTV clips were reviewed to trace the car’s movements, eventually leading the team to Vaso village, Kheda district, where the accused, Akhil Salimbhai Vohar, was residing.

Akhil, a habitual offender with a lengthy criminal record across multiple districts, was taken into custody. Upon interrogation, police recovered the following items from his possession:

• Gold ornaments worth over ₹9 lakh
•  Silver jewellery and coins weighing more than 165 grams
•  ₹70,000 in cash in various denominations
• Six mobile phones valued at ₹60,000
• The Hyundai Venue car, valued at ₹7 lakh, was used to commit the thefts

In total, about 90% of the stolen property worth ₹18.19 lakh was recovered within days of the crime.

Police records reveal Akhil’s involvement in at least 18 prior offences across Gujarat, including cases registered at police stations in Anand, Vadodara, Godhra, Dwarka, and Ahmedabad, among others.

He has since been handed over to the Infocity Police Station for further investigation under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.