Man Arrested for Stealing Zoomcar From Padarayanapura Owner and Selling It

The Bengaluru police have arrested a 32-year-old man on the city's outskirts for allegedly driving away with a rental car and selling it in Kerala. The vehicle's owner, Syed Khadir Pasha, is a resident of Padarayanapura in Bengaluru. The suspect, identified as Misheal Shafeeq, a resident of Kannur in Kerala, allegedly rented the car on April 24 but failed to return it, leading to a police investigation and his subsequent arrest.

According to the police, Syed Khadir Pasha had listed his Maruti Swift on Zoomcar, a self-drive rental platform. Misheal Shafeeq booked the car through the platform on April 24. However, after the rental period expired, Shafeeq did not return the Maruti Swift at the scheduled time. Instead, he stopped responding to Pasha and cut off all communication, which raised suspicions of theft.

The owner then approached the police, who launched a search operation. Law enforcement officers eventually tracked down Shafeeq and took him into custody on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Upon interrogation, the 32-year-old suspect confessed to the crime.

Shafeeq detailed his method to the investigating officers, explaining that he drove the stolen Maruti Swift from Bengaluru to Kerala. In an attempt to prevent the car from being tracked by the owner or the police, Shafeeq removed the vehicle's Global Positioning System (GPS) device and its FASTag. He then fixed a fake licence plate onto the car to conceal its true identity before selling the vehicle.

An investigating officer involved in the case confirmed the details of the confession and stated that the police have sent a dedicated team to Kerala. This team is tasked with tracing the exact location of the stolen Maruti Swift and seizing it from whoever currently holds it. The arrest of Shafeeq has halted his illegal operations, and further legal proceedings are underway.